Lost in Time
by Lioness002
Summary: Stefan, Damon, Elena, and Bonnie are at the Boarding House late one night testing Bonnie's new skills and powers. After an exhausting night, a spell goes horribly wrong and Elena ends up missing. She ends up in 1864 Mystic Falls faced with nothing but questions. Who do I trust? Back at home, the group will do anything to get her back. Even send Damon in after her. DELENA!
1. Lost

**This is the newest story I suddenly came up with out of nowhere. "Lost in Time" takes place when Elena suddenly finds herself back in 1864, with two human Salvatore brothers and one vampire Katherine. Trouble, is in store for Elena when she cannot get home and her friends back home will do anything to get her back, even send Damon in after her. *Delena* I know this has been done before but I just had to do it, I just loved the plot idea. Enjoy! ****-I Own Nothing **

**-Lioness002**

* * *

"Bonnie, are you sure this is safe?" Asked a very worried and brooding Stefan Salvatore, he stood with crossed arms and his lips pulled into a thoughtful line as he watched Bonnie carefully. Damon, Elena, Bonnie, and Stefan had been at the Salvatore Boarding House for hours practicing and learning new spells and techniques Bonnie had learned from Doctor Martin. It ends up that when Doctor Martin grabbed Bonnie in the Gilbert's bathroom he gave Bonnie her powers back and all of his own, now they were trying to test the extent of her new knowledge and skills.

"Stefan," Bonnie sighed tiredly for over the hundredth time, "this is as safe as it will get, we are messing with magic, there's no telling what could happen." She said walking over to the large mahogany table and taking a sip of water. "On the bright side, if I can find out how to locate vampire's without touching them, we can find Klaus without Katherine or Isobel's help." Bonnie said evenly as she placed the glass down and extended her arms out in front of her to read the magic pulsation waves in the air. Suddenly there was a snort from the other side of the room as Damon strolled in to get himself a drink.

"Are you two seriously still doing this? It's four in the morning; I gave up hours ago, go home _witch_." He said pouring himself a scotch and downing it in one gulp. There was a small sigh from the couch as Elena popped her head up from where she was laying so she could see Damon.

"Not two, three." Elena yawned pulling herself up on the back of the couch and rubbing her eyes. Damon raised an eyebrow and shook his head at Stefan as he walked over to the couch and pulled up Elena's legs so he could sit down.

"Elena looks exhausted and Bonnie's asleep on her feet, let them go home Stefan." Damon said winking quickly at Elena. Elena rolled her eyes, laid back down on the couch, and ignored the fact that Damon's hands were resting comfortably on her shins.

"Since when do you care?" Bonnie quipped with a frown.

"I don't, I just want you to _leave_." Damon said as he widened his eyes menacingly at Bonnie. She held her frown at him and turned back to Stefan who was staring at Damon's hands, which were still on Elena's shins.

"Your brother is an ass." She said as she crossed her arms. "If you don't want my help, fine, I'll leave." She said pointedly at Damon who in return gave her a cocky little wave. Stefan's eyes widened as he quickly stepped between Bonnie and Damon.

"No, no, no, Bonnie, we want your help. Damon," he said icily turning his head to look at him crossly, "just takes pleasure in messing with people, ignore him. We are doing this to protect Elena, Caroline, Matt, Jenna, and everyone else in Mystic Falls you are Elena care about." Stefan rationalized trying to make Bonnie cool down.

"I don't need to be protected." Elena mumbled from the couch with her arm draped over her eyes as she tried to sleep. Stefan sighed and gave her a serious look.

"Yes you do, we aren't letting you anywhere near Klaus. You will be safe." He said with emphasis on his last four words as if he were trying to convince Elena and himself at the same time. Elena sighed and rolled over on the couch to try and find a more comfortable position.

"Careful Elena, you are laying on me." Damon said with a smirk. Elena whipped out a hand blindly and connected with Damon's shoulder.

"Shut up, you're the one that decided to sit here, I was here first." She grumbled.

"Well I'm older than you so you should listen to your elders." Damon teased.

"You are such a child." Bonnie said icily as she glared at Damon.

"I don't think she likes me." Damon whispered to Elena quietly. Elena sat up and squint her eyes at him and nodded in mock understanding. Elena pulled up one hand to block one side of her mouth and leaned closer to Damon like she was going to tell him a secret. Damon smirked and leaned his head sideways to indulge Elena's joke.

"I know." She whispered as she lightly pushed Damon's head away. He snorted as she laid back down and he patted her shins.

"Are you two done?" Bonnie asked as she glared at Damon with hatred. Damon smirked at Bonnie and leaned farther into the back of the couch as he propped his arms behind his head.

"My apologies _witch_, please continue." Bonnie sighed and turned back to Stefan who looked slightly left out but mostly angry at Damon.

"Do you have any candles?" Bonnie asked trying to get the conversation back on track. Stefan nodded and turned on his heel to go and find candles somewhere in the massive house. Bonnie looked over to Elena on the couch and frown about the fact that Elena was perfectly fine being so close to the blood-sucking heart-breaker Damon.

"Bonnie, why are you looking at me like that?" Elena asked questionably as she sat up from the couch and pulled her legs away from Damon. Bonnie sighed and rubbed her temples trying to make her pounding headache go away.

"No reason, I'm just tired, that's all." She said coming to sit next to Elena farthest away from Damon. Elena nodded in understanding and wrapped Bonnie in a comforting hug. Damon sat at the other edge of the couch with a hand on his chin and his mouth slowly pulling into a smirk.

"How cute." He teased. Bonnie glared at Damon as she pulled away from the hug.

"Do you want me to set you on fire?" She threatened. Damon held his hands up in surrender and stood up from the couch as he poured himself another drink.

"No, I wouldn't want to put you through the trouble."

"Oh trust me; it's no trouble at all."

"Bonnie, it's not worth the energy, he's just being an ass like always." Elena said stretching as she stood up from the couch so she could get some blood flow to her legs.

"Oh Elena, you of all people should know I'm not that bad." He said taking a sip of his bourbon. Elena scoffed as she helped Bonnie off the couch.

"Right, whatever you want to believe Damon."

"Ouch, I thought you believed in me." He bickered back to Elena. Elena rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that touched her lips. He was so damn annoying and persistent but that was what made him Damon, he never gave up.

"Alright, here are the candles." Stefan said walking into the parlor with two dozen or so candles in his arms. Elena quickly rushed over and took a few from his arms to lighten his load. He smiled at her and she smiled back. "Where do you want them?" He asked turning to look at Bonnie who was now standing in the middle of the room.

"Spread them out evenly around the room, I can draw energy from them." She said as she gingerly picked up an old and worn Grimoire from the table.

After everyone except for Damon helped set out all the candles, Bonnie took a deep breath and closed her eyes to concentrate on her magic. When she opened her eyes again all the candles lit simultaneously. Elena jumped as all the lights went out except for the candles and the temperature dropped a few degrees. Stefan was by her side in a second, Damon on the other hand sighed and finished off his bourbon and leaned against the doorway bored. Bonnie's head dropped limp for a second before it was pulled up and her face held a calm but intense expression. She opened the Grimoire and flipped through a few pages of text as if she was in a trance before her finger fell onto a section of the page. There was an eerie silence before Bonnie began to chant some spell in a foreign language that made the hairs on the back of Elena's neck lift in fear. Elena shivered slightly at the echo sound Bonnie's words held, it sounded like more than one person was talking than just her best friend Bonnie. The flames of the candles and the fire in the fireplace roared to life as they reached up toward the sky, suddenly the lights went completely out. Everyone lost their bearing for a moment before the lights flickered back on and Bonnie looked up with wide and afraid eyes. She dropped the Grimoire and quickly looked around the room as did Stefan and Damon.

"Where's Elena?" Bonnie whispered in a quivering voice. Stefan's eyes widened as he sped through the room and the rest of the house as Damon stood frozen on his spot as he stared at where Elena had been seconds before.

"She's gone." Stefan whispered re-entering the room. "Elena's missing."

**

* * *

**

Hahaha evil cliff-hanger! So, what did everyone think? What happened to Elena? Where is she? What spell did Bonnie really recite? So many questions and they will all soon be answered in the next chapters. I really hope everyone enjoyed and I want to convey thanks to everyone who read. So if you liked it, loved it, or hated it leave me a review please! Thanks. :)

**-Lioness002**


	2. Darkness

**Here's chapter two everyone! The plot is going to get much more interesting now that Elena is 'missing' and everyone back at the Boarding House is frantically trying to find her. What are they going to do? Stay tuned and I hope everyone enjoys and will leave a review. :)**** -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

There was nothing, nothing but darkness surrounding me as I fell. There was no sense of direction or time as I plummeted through the dark abyss of nothing. There was no sound or wind, just an all consuming black. I was afraid. I tried to see anything in front of me, what was below me, but it was the type of dark that made it so you couldn't see an inch in front of you. I could have been falling for seconds or hours, the darkness made you loss all sense of time, reality, and life. I'd never felt more alone or isolated.

"Stefan! Bonnie! Damon!" I called as I desperately hoped I wasn't alone, but I was, I knew I was. I had no idea what had happened, I remembered being at the Boarding House with Stefan, Damon, and Bonnie, but after that, nothing. I ended up here, free falling through darkness and cold. I sucked in a sharp breath as I saw the first hints of a faint light in the distance.

"Am I…dead?" I wondered as the faint light grew closer and closer. "No, I would have remembered something, a fight, an accident, anything." I did not remember anything like that; all I remembered was Damon teasing me and Stefan being overprotective like always, nothing new. The only difference was Bonnie…and her spell. "Did the spell do this?" I wondered before my thoughts were preoccupied by the growing light, it was slowly taking up all of my view. "Here we go." I thought as there was a sudden sucking sensation and I felt my body being pulled by an invisible force toward the origin of the light. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as I sent a silent prayer to God that I would make it out alive.

"I love you Stefan." I thought just before I felt my body pass through some sort of barrier and enter a new environment. I opened my eyes and screamed as I rushed through the air and saw the ground looming closer and closer.

* * *

Everyone stood in a shocked silence as they turned to look at Stefan in disbelief. What did he mean Elena was gone? Elena couldn't be gone, she was just here. Damon stared at Stefan through slit eyes as he sped forward to face his brother.

"What do you mean she's _gone_?" Damon hissed at Stefan in a protective and shocked tone. Everyone could tell Damon was furious and that it was a horrible time to be around him, he was dangerous. Stefan stared sadly at his brother as he let out a sigh of pain.

"I mean what I said, Elena isn't here. She's nowhere." Stefan said remorsefully as he turned his head down to stare at the old wooding of the parlor. Damon let out a low growl before his eyes turned blood red and veins appeared shortly after his fangs extended making his face demonic. He whipped his head to the side to glare at Bonnie who was standing in the center of the room in a numb sense of shock at the fact Elena was gone.

"You," Damon growled at Bonnie, "what did you do?" He yelled speeding over to Bonnie and pinning her to the wall by the neck. "Where is Elena?" He growled in an almost primal tone as he bared his fangs at her. Bonnie grasped at her throat but Damon just squeezed harder. Bonnie gave a weak cough before she intently stared straight at Damon. Before he could do anything he gave a large twitch and let out a yell of pain as he let go of Bonnie and clutched his head before falling on the floor. Bonnie let in a large gulp of air and rubbed her throat before looking down at Damon's writhing form with hatred.

"You would be wise to not threaten me, Damon." Bonnie said stepping over Damon. She looked at Stefan who was staring at his brother in agony as he watched his brother's pain maximize. "Control you brother, Stefan." Bonnie said callously as she closed her eyes and Damon stopped moving and clutching his head. He let out a small moan followed by a strangled sigh as he propped himself up with one arm.

"Stefan, you should be doing something to get Elena back. Find out where she is, _when _she is, not standing there like a bumbling idiot." Damon said darkly as he stood up from the floor and brushed himself off.

"Damon, we need to stay calm. Hurting bonnie won't help us; we need to find out what happened before he can do anything to help Elena. We need to find out what Bonnie's spell did." Stefan said rubbing his temples as if he had a massive headache. Damon's mouth dropped in amazement as he stared at Stefan in shock, it was clearly written across his normally emotionless face.

"Have I entered an alternate universe where I am the worried one? Usually you would be freaking out by now." Damon hissed as he sped over to Stefan. "This is Elena we are talking about." Damon said staring at his little brother. Stefan pulled a hand down his face and gave Damon a defeated and heartbroken look.

"I know."

**

* * *

**

Hahaha, sorry it was so short be I am still setting up the plot and what's going on the in two stories. Who loved Damon's protective freak out over Elena? Hehehe. What is everyone going to do about Elena? Where is Elena and is she okay? Stay tuned for the next chapter some time soon where your questions will be answered. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed and will leave me a review on how I am doing. Thanks for reading! :) - Lioness002


	3. 1864

**Nice to see everyone again so soon! Here is the third chapter and I am happy everyone enjoyed the last chapter. Sorry it was so short but I am trying to make them longer. I am actually writing them during the day and then typing them when I get home. :)**** Therefore, I hope everyone will enjoy and will leave me a review! :) -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

"Ow." I moaned as I pushed myself up from the saturated ground and brushed mud off my purple long sleeves. I slowly stood up, rubbed my head and concluded that I had not broken any bones in the fall. I looked up at the darkened sky to see if there was any sign of where I fell from, but there was nothing except clear stars. I let out a sigh as I looked down from the sky, I could see my breath silhouetted by the moon. The moon looked closer and clearer than I had ever seen before in my life, it was beautiful. I shivered and cursed the fact I only had jeans and a long sleeve shirt on in the middle of fall.

"Where am I?" I breathed looking at my surroundings, all trees. "Well that's helpful." I mumbled as I pulled out my phone to check the time and maybe find out where I was. "Huh?" I questioned when I found my phone had no signal. "That's odd, there's almost always service." I said pushing the phone back into my pocket with a small frown.

I turned in a small circle as I looked around the dense forest. All I saw was trees, trees, and what do you know, more trees! They were scattered here and there together in tight nit clusters around me. I let out an aggravated sigh and decided I might as well start walking. "Where am I?" I wondered again as I passed trees, rocks, and shrubs. "For some reason though, it seems super familiar." I thought as I heard my Converse clad feet squish through the boggy ground. I let out a hesitant sigh as I looked around.

"Hello?" I called hopefully. In retrospect, I knew I should not have been doing that in a strange forest where I had no idea where I was, but I could not resist. I rubbed my arms and gently touched my prized necklace. "Stefan." I whispered softly as I held back tears of hurt, confusion, and fear. "I miss you already." I whispered as I stepped over a fallen log and stood there for a second in thought. "I'm here; I might as well make the best of it. I'm here for a reason and I can't go home until I figure out what that reason is." I thought confidently and determined that I could survive. "I've been through harder." I thought with a smile. I laughed at the idea of me _alone_ on adventure into the unknown. Stefan would probably be freaking out, Damon would be angry with Bonnie, and Bonnie would be angry with Damon while feeling confused about what happened. I snorted and shook my head at my strange circle of friends, one boyfriend vampire, one best friend witch, one best friend vampire, one human guy friend, and one annoying sometimes vampire friend. Yeah, my life could not get anymore strange. I continued to walk but with the trees blocking out most of the light it was getting harder and harder to navigate the forest without tripping.

"Ugh, I hate logs and not being able to see." I hissed under my breath as I tripped over a log and fell to the ground. I sighed and got back up from the ground and continued. After about an hour of walking, I finally reached a small and narrow dirt road. I sighed in relief, as I looked right and left for any sigh of a city or a town. The only thing in sight was the dirt road and the tree barrier to another world. I sighed and decided to head up the road, maybe if I were lucky enough, I would run into someone with directions or a car. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I began to walk, head down, on the side of the road in search of life.

* * *

Damon and Stefan held a private and silent conversation about what they were going to do about Elena while Bonnie crouched down to the floor to retrieve the forgotten Grimoire. She bit her lip and flipped through a few of the weathered pages to see if anything caught her eye. She silently walked over to the couch and sat down with the Grimoire fully open on her lap as her eyes scanned the pages. Bonnie's brow furrowed in confusion as she lip-read what the page said and let her fingers travel over the page where she remembered reading the spell.

"Stefan." She whispered feebly as she looked up from the book to the vampire with wide eyes. Stefan looked around Damon with a concerned face.

"What is it Bonnie?" He asked warily and sounding afraid at the same time. Bonnie shook her head and silently read the page again hoping she had read wrong the first time.

"I think I know what happened to Elena." She said as Stefan came to stand before her.

"What happened to her?" Stefan pried with pleading and desperate eyes. He was so worried about Elena, she could be anywhere and that scared him more than the idea of her and Damon being friends. Elena was alone and unprotected with Klaus on the loose looking for the Doppelganger. Bonnie downcast her eyes to the old pages of the Grimoire and then back up to Stefan in a frantic act of nervousness, she did not like her answer to the question so he defiantly would not.

"You aren't going to like my answer." She said verbalizing her fears.

"Try us." Damon said as he walked over to the liquor cabinet for the third time that night. Bonnie gave Damon a small scowl before she turned back to the anxious Stefan.

"She's back in time, 1864 to be exact." She said scrunching back slightly into the couch. Damon who had just taken a sip of his second scotch inhaled and began to cough vigorously as he spit it out. Both and Stefan and Damon looked at her in shook before sharing a knowing look.

"What?" Damon whispered in a very low and scary tone as he whipped his mouth of any excess scotch. "Why 1864?" He asked in complete agitation. He shook his head and began to pace back and forth in front of one of the large windows in the parlor.

"Bonnie, there has to be a mistake. Why would the spell send Elena to 1864?" He asked as he felt his stomach fall lower and lower. Bonnie rubbed her eyes and let her face fall into her petite hands.

"I'm not sure, but I have a theory."

"And that would be?" Damon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The spell will send you to where you are most likely to fit in, where you feel most connected to someone or something. Elena was born here in Mystic Falls and her ancestors founded the town. She is at home here; Mystic Falls is where she feels comfortable. She and her family have history here, not to mention that Katherine, her Doppelganger lived here in 1864. And before you kill me for mentioning Katherine, there is another reason, the most important and influential of them all." Bonnie said looking up at the two Salvatore brothers. "The main reason she was sent to 1864 Mystic Falls is because you two lived there in 1864."

"Us?" Damon and Stefan said in unison. Bonnie nodded.

"Yes, you two. Elena loves Stefan so her soul would be attracted to any form of you, leading her to 1864 when you were human. Now for the second part," she said turning to Damon with a displeased look, "even though I don't understand it, Elena is close friends with you Damon. Elena is emotionally and mentally attached to the two of you, she feels safe in your presence. The spell had a default in case it is used wrong, it would send you to any time where you would feel safe, bringing her to you two in 1864." Bonnie said taking a deep breath.

"But that is the least safe place possible!" Damon exclaimed. "In 1864, we," he said pointing to Stefan and himself, "are still human and Katherine is practically running the town."

"Look, I didn't make up the rules." Bonnie snapped. "You should be grateful she cares so much about the two of you that she would feel safe around you in any form. Even if it meant being faced with Katherine."

"Elena wouldn't do that though, she knows Katherine was there in 1864. She would try to stay away from her at all costs." Stefan said running a hand through his hair.

"I know, but it's not a conscious action, it's what her heart and soul feels." Bonnie said tiredly.

"Well that's just great Bonnie, thank you so much for adding more drama to our already loaded plates." Damon said sarcastically as he let out a groan of annoyance. Bonnie gave him a dark look before turning to Stefan who looked like he was made of stone, he was not moving. His eyebrows were pulled down in deep thought as he worked outcomes and scenarios in his mind.

"There is a way to help her." Bonnie said after a few moments of silence.

"And how do we do that?" Damon snapped.

"I can send someone in after her, as long as they concentrate on Elena and the year 1864 they will be sent to the same year and approximately to her position. It's not an exact science but it should work." Bonnie said looking between the two brothers. "The problem is that I can only send one of you." Damon let out a sigh and looked at Stefan.

"Well, this is Saint Stefan territory so I'm guessing you're going in after your girl while I sit at home like nothing's wrong." Damon said evenly. Bonnie turned to Stefan and opened the Grimoire to the correct page.

"Alright Stefan, think Elena and 1864." She said as she pulled her black hair behind her ear and was preparing to recite the spell. Stefan shook his head and stopped Bonnie by speeding away from her.

"No." Stefan said. Bonnie's eyes widened as she stared at him as if he had gone crazy.

"What do you mean no? We have to get Elena back!" Bonnie screeched at Stefan.

"Bonnie, I know. There is a problem with sending me though; I am not strong enough to protect her because of the way I choose to live. You need to send Damon."

"Excuse me what?" Bonnie said in disbelief.

"You need to send Damon." Stefan repeated. "Even though I hate to admit it, he is more powerful than me. With Elena stuck in 1864 in a town full of evil vampires and Katherine, Damon would be a better fit." Stefan said sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose trying to relax. Damon turned to give Stefan a skeptical look as if he were waiting for him to say 'just kidding!'

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. You are asking _me_ to send _Damon_ to _protect_ Elena?" Bonnie asked in disbelief. "He won't do it! He doesn't care about anyone but himself!" Bonnie hissed. There was a soft laughing from the other side of the room as Damon shook with slight laughter.

"Oh Bonnie, you are _so_ misinformed." Damon said as he shook his head. "You don't know me."

"I am not misinformed, and I know you."

"No you don't. You are too stuck up on grudges and the past to see that I would do anything to protect Elena. Anything, even give up my life." He said seriously. There was a deafening silence as Bonnie stared at Damon in amazement before she shook her head.

"Liar." Damon let out a low growl as he rolled his eyes.

"Oh it's not even worth it. Whether you believe me or not believe this, I will protect Elena at all costs." Damon said with crossed arms.

"Bonnie, send him." Stefan said from the other side of the room. Bonnie let out a hiss of a breath and glared at Damon.

"Fine." She said snatching the Grimoire. "Damon get ready, I'm don't have all night." She said. Damon chuckled softly before he sped out of the room and was missing for a few minutes. Stefan and Bonnie stared after him in question before he re-entered with a half empty blood bag in hand.

"If I'm going to do this I'm going to need all the blood I can get." He said as he finished off the blood bag. Bonnie gave a disgusted scoff before she turned around so she would not have to see Damon's face any more demonic than she thought it already was. As Damon threw the blood bag away, Stefan stepped up behind him. As Damon turned around Stefan stared at him with devastated eyes as he let out a strangled breath.

"Promise me you'll bring her back safe." Stefan said staring right into his brother's ice colored eyes and giving him a pleading look. "I can't loss her, _we_ can't loss her." Damon was silent for a moment before he nodded at Stefan.

"I promise." He said turning to Bonnie and taking a deep breath. "I'm ready." Bonnie nodded and pointed Damon to the middle of the room. Damon strolled slowly to the spot before he heard something from behind him.

"Damon," Stefan said as Damon turned around, "watch yourself, and don't do anything stupid." He said with a small smile.

"I'll try." He said as Bonnie began to chant the spell and Damon felt himself beginning to slip through time.

**

* * *

**

There we go! I hope everyone is happy that I made this chapter longer. Yay for me! So now Damon is going in after Elena, what will happen? Will he find her before it is too late? Stay tuned for the next update. Therefore, I hope everyone enjoyed and will leave me a review on how I did. Thanks for reading! :) -Lioness002


	4. The Church

**Chapter 4 is here! ****Thank you everyone for the reviews and everything else, it is super inspiring and it really pushes me to write faster for all of you loyal fans. By the way, this is all in Elena's POV; I was annoyed with myself because her parts were so small so I forced myself to make a full chapter in her POV. I personally think it turned out pretty well. It is actually the longest chapter for this story yet. :) Therefore, thank you and I hope everyone enjoys and leaves me a review. :) Thanks.**

**-I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

I had been walking for over two hours before the trees on the side of the narrow road began to thin and show a dark mass before me. I narrowed my eyes trying to determine what the object was, but the tree branches were obscuring my sight just enough for the object to stay anonymous. I quickened my pace so I could reach the blob; if it was a building, I could find people and find a way home. The closer I got the shadows slowly started to recede and show that the mass was an old stone building. I quickly jogged over and looked for any sign of a door or window I could get in through. I stopped when I was right in front of the door and I stared at the enormity of the old building, it was in surprisingly good shape considering the building style looked like it was from the mid eighteen hundreds. It looked almost brand new, maybe less than a few years, ten at the most. My eyes looked up at the sky, all the trees that had once been obscuring my vision were behind me, and the building was in a small clearing with trees surrounding it. I turned my head up and saw a wooden cross on top of the building illuminated by the moon and stars. "It's a church!" I thought happily as I reached the front door of the church. "It sure is off the beaten path." I thought reaching for the doorknob and twisting it so I could enter. The door swung open and it was pitch black inside, I ran my hand along the wall looking for a light switch but I found none. I sighed and pulled out my phone and pressed a button so the light would illuminate the room. I looked around and saw high stone ceilings, glass windows, stone flooring with a few carpets, and wooden benches all faced toward the front of the room, the focal point being a large wooden cross. I arched my neck to look at all of the intricate glasswork and furnishings, it was very fancy inside the church. "Hello?" I called as my voice rebounded and echoed through the empty building. I let out an annoyed sighed and was about to leave the building and start walking again when the sound of hooves stopped me in my tracks. A few moments later, I heard another set of hooves. I opened the door slightly and peered out to see two carriages pulled my two teams of horses. "Carriages?" I questioned in confusion. My eyes widened as two men stepped out of their carriages and nodded to each other.

"Good of you to met me here at such late a time." The first man said evenly removing his hat and holding it behind his back nervously.

"I am here, what is the meaning of your sudden and urgent meeting Mr. Gilbert?" The second man asked in a stony voice as he held up a kerosene lamp. My eyes widened in surprise at the name one of the men held, Mr. Gilbert pointed the second man to the church before they both started to walk toward me. I quickly and lightly shut the door and looked around for somewhere to hide, my eyes found a confessional and I quickly ran to the wooden box and sat inside just as the door opened. "Mr. Gilbert, if you persist on beating around the bush I will take my leave." The second man snapped. I still hadn't seen either of the mans faces so I had no idea what the speaker looked like, I was intrigued however by the fact one of the men shared my last name. I heard a light thump as the lamp was placed on a nearby table and a few more of the lights were lit. I peered out of the screen window of the confessional trying to see who it was that was here in the church at such a late hour.

"I am here to discuss Council information with you." The first man said. I snapped my head to look at the men as I narrowed my eyes to try to place a face to a voice. "The plans are ready for fulfillment Mr. Salvatore." I heard as I pressed my ear closer to hear what they were saying.

"Well, as long as that magic compass of yours works we should be able to rid the town of all the Demons." The second man said. My eyes flicked between the two men and I inhaled a sharp breath.

"Gilbert? Salvatore? Compass? _Demons_?" I thought desperately as my eyes found another entryway in the corner of the room, it looked like to lead downwards underneath the church. "Please no, no, no." I thought on the verge of a breakdown as the door opened once again and a new body entered the room.

"May I beg your pardon gentlemen?" The new voice asked. I slowly slid down the wall of the confessional and sat on the wood seat in a whirlwind of thoughts. What I had heard was untrue, I was hearing things, dreaming, delusional; I was not hearing about anything to do with 1864. I did not just see an entryway that could possibly lead to a tomb underneath the church; I was still at the Salvatore Boarding House having a vivid and bad dream.

"No pardon required Mr. Forbes, we have merely begun." The second voice responded sounding a little warmer.

"Thank you kindly." The man said. "Now, what have I missed?" The voice said.

"The plans are all set Mr. Forbes, Mr. Salvatore. My device is effective and can find Demons anywhere in the town." Mr. Gilbert said eagerly. There was a silence and I slowly arched my head up to see what was going on. The three men were standing in front of the large cross at the end of the church with grave looks on their faces. There was finally enough light for me to make out faces, the first man that I had seen earlier I recognized automatically as non other than my ancestor Johnathan Gilbert. The third man that had come later I did not recognize but the man next to him I did, it was Giuseppe Salvatore, Stefan and Damon's father.

"Are you sure?" Giuseppe asked unconvinced as he crossed his arms and looked sternly at Johnathan.

"Positive, we can easily find these Demons and throw them back to the Hell they came from." Johnathan said pulling out something from his pocket. "This watch," he said opening the watch and showing the two men, "will point out any vampire in the nearby area. The dial will turn and point to whoever the Demon is." He said closing the device. Mr. Forbes and Mr. Salvatore looked to one another before hesitantly nodding.

"Alright, but after we round them up, what are we going to do with them?" Mr. Forbes asked.

"Burn them." Giuseppe said. "Here in the church, under the eyes of God so he may lay punishment on them and send them all back to Hell." Giuseppe spat out in disgust.

"What do we do when people ask what happened to the church?" Mr. Forbes asked looking to Giuseppe.

"We will alter the records and make sure it says that civilians were killed by an open fire from enemy soldiers. The church burned down in the process. No one will ever have to know of the presence of Demons, it is our duty to rid the world of these abominations." Giuseppe said looking to both men as if asking them to challenge his plan. Both Johnathan and Mr. Forbes nodded in approval.

"Is that all gentlemen?" Mr. Forbes asked after a few moments of silence. Both of the men nodded and all of them started to head for the door.

"What of your sons Giuseppe?" Johnathan asked suddenly as he blew out a candle. My eyes widened at the thought of Stefan and Damon. They would be human…but by Katherine's side madly in love with her. I shook away the thought of both Damon and Stefan falling all over her; it bothered me considering that later in life they both hated her guts.

"They will both help with the execution of the Demons." Giuseppe said confidently as he turned away from Johnathan. Johnathan hesitantly nodded and took another step toward the door.

"Tell me if I speak to openly, Stefan will help I am sure, but Damon-"

"-Will most defiantly help." Giuseppe finished. "And yes, you do speak to openly sir." Giuseppe snapped with a tight frown. Johnathan nodded and placed his hat back at the crown of his head.

"My apologies, now I bid you both a good night." He said as he quickly exited the church. A few moments later, there was a snap of a whip and the sound of horse hooves before they slowly faded into the distance. I let out a breath and turned to the two remaining men in the church.

"Do you think Mr. Gilberts crazy invention will work?" Mr. Forbes asked as he pulled out a pocket watch to check the time. Giuseppe sighed and shook his head.

"No man could be sure. The rest of the Council, including myself, believes the compass to be witchcraft from the devil."

"Whatever it may be, if it helps us rid the town of Demons, let us not question how Mr. Gilbert came by it." Mr. Forbes said evenly. "Now Giuseppe we must part, my wife may begin to fear the Demons got me." He said with the smallest of smiles. Giuseppe gave a small chuckle before nodding and shaking Mr. Forbes hand.

"Go home friend; set your wife's mind at ease. We part until 'morrow." Mr. Forbes nodded and left Giuseppe alone in the large and almost empty church. Giuseppe took it upon himself to go and blow out all of the candles in the church except for one. I was surprised to see him kneel down and begin to pray, Stefan or Damon had never expressed their father to be religious. I let out a soft sigh and lightly opened the confessional door and took a step onto the floor. I held my breath as I took another step toward the door, I was desperate to get out of the church, to much past, or should I say future was in this building. Too many confusing and twisted ideas from the past, to much emotional drama, and I felt horrible ease dropping on a conversation I most certainly was not meant to hear.

When I was about halfway to the door out of the corner of my eye, I saw Giuseppe stir from his position on the floor. I held in a squeak of fear as my eyes landed on the stairway leading to the basement of the building, it was my only option of not being seen by Mr. Salvatore, he would think I was Katherine. I quickly and quietly half ran half-tripped down the stairs to the basement. It was odd for me because I was expecting them to be covered in roots and wildlife, but they were clean and smooth like new as I sprinted down them losing light every second. I ran my hand along the wall and stopped when the stairs and the wall stopped. I stood still and heard the echoing steps of Giuseppe coming closer, I bit my lip as I heard the door open and then close. I let out a sigh of relief and placed a hand over my frantically beating heart, I could have been caught. I narrowed my eyes to try to see anything but it was pointless in the pitch black.

My hand wrapped around my phone and turned the screen on so it would illuminate my surroundings. My heart clenched when I saw the door, it was _the _door, the door to the tomb. I recognized it automatically, the dark stone and famous symbol. This was the same tomb 27 vampires had been locked in, the same tomb Damon tried to get into for over 145 years, the tomb Stefan and Katherine had been trapped in. My breathing became random and shallow as I tried to understand how I had ended up in 1864 _before_ the church burned and the vampires were caught. Why did Bonnie's spell have to send to 1864 Mystic Falls of all years? I turned my gaze away from the door when I heard the snap of a whip and the loud thump of horse hooves. I closed my eyes and silently made my way back up the stairs and out of the church.

The church lights had been blown out and it dark once again. I pushed open the door and let out an annoyed sigh when I saw it was raining. I looked at the ground and smiled when I saw a pair of recent tracks from Giuseppe's carriage. I stood in the rain for a moment deciding if I should follow the tracks or not, would I be safe or would I be putting myself into more danger? My mind flashed to Stefan and Damon, they were my lifelines and my closest friends, almost family. Even if they did not know me, would I feel comfort knowing I was close to them? I pondered this as the rain slowly started to pick up in speed and size. I looked up at the now cloudy sky and let the rain wash my face clean as I closed my eyes. I drifted for a minute as lighting flashed through the sky followed closely by a loud clap of thunder. When I opened up my eyes again my hair was plastered to my head and my clothes were soaked, but I had made my decision, I would stay. Stefan and Damon may be with Katherine but everyone says a connection is forever; maybe it applies to the past as well. Anyway, where else was I supposed to go? I did not even know how I was going to get home, if ever. I frowned and thought about Jeremy and Jenna, Bonnie and Caroline. They would all miss and worry about me, and I knew Stefan and Damon would.

I looked down at the now muddy ground and looked at the tracks with determination. I took my first step toward them before I was running. I would get home. I would survive here, I would not give up, and I would make it back to my friends and family no matter what. I smiled to myself with new found energy and pushed my body to run faster down the muddy and slick streets looking for the town of Mystic Falls.

* * *

I stayed to the shadows and the side of the road as I followed the tracks, but I needed to find somewhere to stay for the night, somewhere out of sight where someone would not accidentally run into me. I looked at the mud and kicked and nearby rock, it flew a few feet and splashed into a puddle causing water to splash all over. The rain had not ceased and the lightning flashed through the sky once again. When I looked back at the saturated ground I began to see more criss-crossing wheel marks, I was getting closer to the main part of town.

The rain had caused a deep fog to enclose the small town as I ran through the rain in search of somewhere I could rest. I let out an annoyed sigh and ran a hand along my face to get rid of some of the excess water; I was in a bad position. I did not know the layout of 1864 Mystic Falls, only the 2011 version. The only two places I knew were probably the most dangerous, the original Salvatore House, and the quarry. I wanted somewhere I could be safe and warm, around someone I trusted, but knowing the history, that was nearly impossible. I was interested in the idea of getting to see what it was like growing up in Mystic Falls for Stefan and Damon, but terrified to see the two people I loved. They would not know me and I did not want to interfere with time.

When I looked up from the ground I saw the first building, it was a barn. "It will have to do." I thought running over to the door and opening it up. It was empty, no animals at all, just hay. I walked inside as another clap of thunder sounded and looked around. "This is the best I can do. Anywhere I go people will think I am Katherine. I need to stay out of the way." I thought walking over to a big pile of hay and grabbing an armful and spreading it across the floor. I smoothed it out and made the best bed I could for the situation. I ran a hand through my hair, sat down, and leaned against the side of the barn listening to the blowing wind. The storm was comforting in a way, at least one thing never changed; the weather would always be unpredictable.

I silently laughed about the weather and pulled out my phone to wipe some water off the screen. I smiled at my background; it was me, Stefan and Damon. It seemed so normal, just a picture of friends, but it really was not. I pursed my lips and scrolled through my phone until I found the photo gallery. The first few were of Caroline, Bonnie and me, a few with Jeremy, but most of them were of either Damon or Stefan. I laughed at one of the pictures of Damon and me, we had just watched Mission Impossible and I was buzzed on sugar so we were pretending to be secret agents. We were back to back with giant smiles plastered on our faces and holding up fake finger guns. I remembered we had tried a serious picture but we both kept laughing, well, at least I did. I think Stefan had taken that one. Another was of Stefan and I on Founders Day in our 1864 clothing, Bonnie had taken it. Then there was a series of Damon pictures, he had stolen my phone and taken a bunch of pictures of himself before he gave it back. I had never managed to delete them because they always managed to make me laugh. One of them was titled "Sexy Beast" and it was my favorite, it was so Damon. Damon could always make me laugh, even in the most intense situations. I sighed and turned off my phone as I placed it on the floor beside me, the events of the day had finally caught up to me and I felt exhausted. I laid down on the floor with my arm under my head and closed my eyes thinking about Damon. He always was there for me in dire situations, sometime more than Stefan was. It sounded crazy, but the only person I wanted to see now was Damon.

"Goodnight Damon." I whispered softly as I felt my body relax and I slowly began to fall asleep.

**

* * *

**

Wow, the longest chapter yet! I hope everyone enjoyed the only Elena chapter and was happy it was much longer than normal. Who loved her phone flipping moment? I had fun writing about the pictures; I think they would have really helped Elena in a situation like this. The Mission Impossible picture though, I was laughing while writing. :) So please do me a huge favor and please leave me a review to tell me how I am doing. I would really appreciate it. Thanks! :)

**-Lioness002**


	5. Apple Tree

**Hey everyone, I am back again with chapter five. We are still with Elena and if any of you are worried about Damon, don't, he will make his appearance soon. So I hope everyone enjoys and will leave me a review when done reading. Thanks! :)**** -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

The next morning I was awoken by the sound of birds chirping in the close by trees and a humid sticky heat. I slowly sat up and stretched as I rubbed my eyes to get rid of the excess sleep. When I looked around I regretfully remembered where I was, I was hoping it had all been a very vivid dream but now looking around I knew that wasn't the case. I was still in the barn on the makeshift bed of straw…in 1864 Mystic Falls. My gaze flicked down to my phone and I lightly picked it up and slid it into my pocket, I would not be loosing my one connection to any sort of familiarity and home. I stood up and slowly took a few steps toward the door as I pressed my ear to the weathered wood. I didn't hear anything so I slowly pushed the door open and looked outside. Everything was covered in dew from the night's storm but nothing looked dangerous or suspicious. I looked left and right and saw nothing but long knee high grass and trees along with a few woodland squirrels. I let out a sigh and stepped out of the barn and closed the door behind me, most likely this would be my makeshift home for the time being. What surprised me was that everything seemed so calm in the woods considering the town was plagued with mystery, death, blood and betrayal. As I walked through the moist grass I felt my stomach rumble slightly, it surprised me and caused me to stop walking.

"Where am I going to get food?" I whispered under my breath as I looked around the nearby area for any sign of food. I sucked in a cold breath as I shook my head and continued to walk through the dense undergrowth hoping I would find something edible. As I walked I noticed I was heading more toward the town, I knew that was probably a bad thing but hunger made you do stupid things.

I walked for some time seeing nothing I could eat so in that free time it allowed me to ponder some things. I was in 1864 with a vampire Katherine and two human Salvatore's. For some reason that didn't frighten me as much as it should have, most people would have freaked out by now, but I was surprisingly calm. The idea of seeing Stefan and Damon human was intriguing, how would they act? How different would their personalities be? Stefan had said that Damon was different after he had turned so what was he like as a human? Probably still his arrogant and cocky self, but would he be softer? More open to his feelings and others? And Stefan, Damon had said Stefan was different as well after he turned, so did that mean that he would be nicer or meaner? I shook my head covered my eyes with my hand to block out the sun so I could see where I was.

I found myself on the edge of a large estate with grassy and lush gardens, a clear pond, a stable, a carriage house, and then a very large main house. I narrowed my eyes at the house in question; it seemed so familiar for some odd reason. I shrugged and looked around some more, in the gardens my eyes landed on a tree full of apples. My stomach growled as if urging me to go and take one, it wouldn't hurt and it was still early in the morning so not many people would be up. I quickly left the forest area and picked my way carefully along the lawn.

As I neared the tree I got a better look at the house, it was a pale white with nice trim and large white pillars at the front of the house holding up the roof. There was a wrap around porch where a worn but still usable swing sat on the polished wood. The lawn was cut and the driveway made a perfect circle around a stone statue. Under the windows were lush and lively bushes and flowers of all kinds, some resembled lilac or poppies.

I looked to the windows and they looked dark, the only movement I could see was in what I presumed to be the kitchen. People were scurrying back and forth; they were most likely making breakfast for the masters of the house. I just hoped none of the workers would look out the window and see a mysterious girl in strange clothing running across their master's lawn.

To get to the tree I had to run by the pond which now that I was closer I could see was muddy around the edge and then clearer toward the middle. A few ducks were swimming on the surface of the water followed closely by their young chicks. I watched as the mother dove under the water and came back up with something that looked like seaweed or algae. I smiled as the small ducks quacked for what the mother held in her mouth, but watching them eat reminded me once again that I was hungry.

I sprinted over to the tree and tried to reach for one of the red fruit but it was just out of my reach. I looked around and quickly found a sturdy branch and began to climb my way up to the higher branches where the apples were growing. I smiled as I climbed farther into the deep green leaves and I smelt the natural smell of the bark and sweet apples juices. It reminded me of when I was child and I climbed in the trees all the time to prove to Matt and Tyler that I wasn't such a girly-girl. Bonnie would climb with me, but Caroline would stay on the ground complaining about something happening to her new clothes or her bleach blonde hair. I laughed quietly at the fond memory of me teaching Jeremy how to climb trees when he was around five or six; he wanted to be able to climb like the big boys.

When I reached the middle of the twenty foot tree I was about to reach for one of the ripe apples but something out of the corner of my eyes caught my attention, two people were walking side by side along the edge of the nearby pond where I had seen the ducks. I was lucky the leaves were heavy and dense or else the two would see me trying to steal an apple. I sat silently in the branches hoping they would go away soon so I wouldn't be caught. It looked like it was two men but I was too far away to be sure and the leaves made far away objects harder to depict, all I knew for certain was that there were two people talking. The two continued to walk closer and I could begin to see one had a sandy colored hair while the other had a midnight black color.

I looked away from the two as a breeze rustled the tree making the branches moan and creak. I wrapped my arms around the thick trunk of the tree for support as it swayed along with sharp and large gusts of wind. When I turned my eyes back to the two men the dark hair male was bending over picking something up. I realized it was a rock when he threw it into the water causing ripples to form and the ducks to scatter with loud quacks of annoyance.

The second man laughed and hit him lightly in arm which caused the other to slug him back. Before I knew it the two were tussling on the ground letting out laughs and jives, I couldn't help the small giggle that escaped my lips at the sight. Who knew grown men in 1864 tussled for no reason? It ended with the dark hair male pinning the sandy haired male to the soggy floor, he had won the tussle. There was another laugh between the both of them before the dark hair male stood up and offered his hand to the one on the ground. The man on the ground took his hand and the dark haired male hoisted the other up effortlessly.

"Nice try brother, but you will never win." The dark haired male teased as the two got closer. Apparently they were brothers, now the playful tussle made sense.

"Not always, one day I will win." The other assured confidently to his brother.

"I won't hold my breath." The other joked patting him on the back. "By the way, Cordelia said that father wanted to speak with us this morning." He said turning to his brother.

"I take it you are telling me this because you won't be joining Father and I." The smaller of the two males said reading between the lines of his brother's statement.

"More demons nonsense," he said dismissively with a wave of his hand, "you can be the good son and give into father's wills and crazy rambling. I on the other hand have better things to do." The smaller of the brothers nodded before taking a step back toward the grand house.

"I will give father your regards."

"Like he cares." The dark haired male said evenly as he watched his brother jog to the house. I could see him faintly shake his head as he pulled something from underneath his arm and began walking toward the tree I was sitting in. My eyes widened in fear as he walked under the branches of the tree and sat down. He fidgeted for a few seconds until he was comfortable with his back against the rough bark of the tree. He opened up a weathered book with slim and pale fingers and settled in to read. I held my breath not wanting make the slightest of noises, the rustle of a branch would alert the man of my hiding place.

Now that the male was closer I could see his hair was indeed dark black but it had a bit of a blue shine and a curl to it. He wore a simple white shirt with suspenders that covered a small but strong build; I could tell he was fairly muscular. His grey trousers looked very new and below those he had black almost combat like boots. I leaned forward in the branches to see if I could see any of his face, he was disturbingly familiar and my mind was screaming I should know who he was.

I moved my hand to another branch so I could lean farther toward the man sitting beneath me but my hand bumped into something round and smooth. I let out a silent squeak as one of the apples un-lodged itself from the branch I held and it fell through the leaves too the ground right next to the silently reading man. By breath froze in my lungs as the man stopping reading and grabbed the apple that had just fallen from the tree above. He brought it up to his face as if to examine it before he slowly looked up at me hiding in the branches and leaves. My heart clenched in my chest as I automatically recognized the man that had been reading underneath my hiding place, I was surprised and slightly disappointed with myself that I hadn't pieced it together sooner.

"Damon." I whispered softly as I stared straight into his ice blue eyes.

* * *

**Hehehe, cliff-hanger. Like many of you guessed and wanted, human Damon is the first one to find Elena. So what would everyone enjoy to read about next? What happened/where our favorite vampire Damon is or what happens between the human Damon and Elena? It is your choice and I will write what the majority wants, either way both will be written at some point. So I hope everyone enjoyed and will leave me a review telling me how I am doing. Thanks! :) -Lioness002**


	6. 1864 and Present Collide

**Chapter six is here and since most of you decided to pick up right were we left off, we are back with Elena and Human Damon. How will he react to this stranger that looks exactly like his love Katherine? How will Elena deal with the drama and surprises of 1864 and Human Stefan and Damon? Stay tuned to see how it all turns out! So read, enjoy, and please review! I hope it's not a let down after the enthusiastic reaction I got from the last chapter. -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

My gaze never wavered in the slightest as I sat in the apple tree on the Salvatore estate and stared down at a _human_ Damon Salvatore. My lips parted in surprise before I felt a shock of fear glide through my veins; I was in a large amount of trouble. Out of all the places I could end up I just had to wander to the Salvatore estate.

Damon's blue eyes were intense as they stared at me with curiosity; I was some stranger hiding in a tree on his property, I didn't know about 1864, but in the twenty first century that was odd. The strange thing is that he didn't look angry, just amused. Did people steal their apples a lot and this was a normal occurrence? I shook my head as I slowly pulled my arm away from the branch the apple had fallen from and moved it above my head looking for a higher branch so I could climb.

"I can see you." Damon said with the smallest of a smirk appearing on his lips. I bit my lip and looked back down at him. "You can come down." He said standing up after closing his reading book. I tried to rack my brain for any way I could get out of this situation without being caught, but I was drawing a blank. Damon's face looked sincere enough, but when I looked exactly like Katherine he was bound to either one: freak out, or two: ask a lot of questions. Either of which was disastrous. "You don't need to be afraid, if you want an apple, take one." He said opening his arms motioning to the surplus amount of apples the tree bore. I smiled at the fact that Damon was being so nice to a complete stranger, the Damon I knew would be taunting and teasing the person in the tree, not telling them to take their pick. I stayed silent as I plucked an apple from a nearby branch and brought it up to my mouth to take a bite. My stomach growled in approval as it sensed the first food it had gotten in over twenty four hours. I was just happy Damon didn't have super hearing yet so he could hear my roaring stomach. After a second he sighed and looked up at the tree with a blank face. "Do you know how to talk?" He asked.

"Yes." I said involuntarily holding back a small giggle. Damon's lips pulled into a smile as he shielded his eyes from the sun and looked closer into the branches.

"Good, so you can talk. I was beginning to think I was seeing things." He said with a small chuckle. "What's your name and are you lost?" I sighed and looked around again; I quickly grabbed a tree branch to my side and hoisted myself over to another branch causing a loud rustling. I looked down and saw Damon side step so he was still directly under me.

"Go away!" I snapped as I pulled myself to another branch.

"Well considering this is my property and you are in my mother's apple tree, I don't think you can order me around." Damon said placing his hands into his pockets and tracking my movement. I sighed and sat down on a large branch and let my legs swing down into the leaves.

"Sorry, but I want you to go away." I insisted crossing my arms even though I knew he couldn't see me.

"If you tell me a little about yourself than maybe I will oblige you." Damon said teasingly as he sprawled out on the grass with his arms behind his head. "Darn his stubbornness." I thought as I tried to think if I could jump out of the tree and outrun him. I finally just gave up on the thought of making a run for it and decided to give in.

"My name is Elena." I said evenly. Damon perked and smiled.

"I haven't been acquainted with many tree climbing girls in my lifetime Miss Elena." He said teasingly while at the same time being polite. "Why are you afraid to come down? I am not cross with you, you are just lucky it is I who discovered you and not my brother or father."

"That is none of your business." I said plucking an apple from a branch and lightly dropping it over his stomach. I giggled when the apple surprised him and landed square on his stomach causing him to cough and his blue eyes to widen in surprise.

"I would ask politely for you to stop tossing apples, I am being very nice Miss Elena." He said standing up with the apple and dropping it on the ground by his feet. My eyes widened as he put a foot on the tree and grabbed a thick branch nearby.

"What are you doing?" I asked shakily as I watched him climb his way into the apple tree.

"I would think it is self explanatory." He said getting to my level but still far enough away that he couldn't see my face. I scrambled back and tried to reach for another branch but there was nothing sturdy, the branch I landed on gave out and I felt my body jerk toward to the ground. I gasped and crashed through some of the branches and was about to fall from the tree ten feet before I felt something whip out and grab my arm. I sucked in a breath and looked up to see Damon leaning to his limits from the tree grabbing my arm and trying to pull me up. When his eyes landed on my face he gasped and nearly lost his balance. "Katherine?" He gasped as the branch he was perched on gave way and we both fell to the ground. I screamed as I fell through the air and I let out a moan as my back smarted against the ground.

I brought my hand up to my head and gingerly sat up, my back ached and I had scrapes on my hands and neck. I looked beside me and saw Damon on his side not moving, I bit my lip and looked to the forests edge and then back to Damon. I let out a defeated sigh and crawled over to Damon, I couldn't leave him here possibly injured or worse. I cared too much about him to do that.

When I reached him I rolled him over onto his back, he was breathing steadily but he had a long cut along the length of his cheek, he had been knocked out. I frowned as I checked his pulse just to make sure he was alright, I would never forgive myself if he was injured because of me, even if he didn't know me yet.

When I had determined he was alright as I lightly plucked shreds of leaves out of his midnight hair. He looked so peaceful considering he just fell from a tree. As I pulled more leaves out of his hair I had the sudden urge to touch his cheek. I bit my lip and practically had to sit on my hand to keep it on my side and not caress his cheek. For some reason he seemed so fragile and I just wanted to take care of him. I checked to make sure he wasn't hurt anywhere else before I decided to try and wake him up. I placed my hand on his chest ready to shake him but I pulled my hand back, it felt as if I had been shocked. My brow furrowed in confusion before I placed my hand back down, it surprised me to feel warmth coming off of his body, he was usually cold. But that was only the slight shocker; the biggest shock was the sensation of a beating heart, life. Human. That was the only word I could think of that would describe Damon at the moment, there wasn't a doubt in my mind, he was as human as me.

"Damon." I whispered softly as I leaned over him and gave him a gentle shake. "Damon, you need to wake up." I urged looking over at the house making sure that no one had seen his fall or seen me. Damon let out a soft moan and brought his hand up to his head before his eyes fluttered open and focused on me.

"Katherine?" He asked slowly and unsurely as he looked at my straight hair and futuristic clothing with a furrowed brow. I felt my heart beat pick up and my mouth grow dry, this is exactly what I had been trying to avoid. I had wanted to stay away from the three people that would cause me problems, not walk up to them and say, 'Hi, I'm Elena Gilbert and I'm from your future where you are a vampire.' I grimaced and made a motion to move back but Damon grabbed onto my arm. "I am sorry but I am very confused at the moment, please explain to me what is going on." He said earnestly as he sat up and looked right into my eyes. For some reason his normally hard and ice like eyes looked warm and soft, like a blue sky or clear lake instead of a frozen piece of ice. "You were the one in the tree." He stated as I nodded shortly. "You said your name was Elena, but you look exactly like someone else I know." He said slowly. I held back a snort of distaste at the thought of Katherine.

"Well, I'm not Katherine." I said almost harshly. Damon looked taken aback at my comment.

"How did you know I was referring to Miss Pierce?" He asked suspiciously. My eyes widened slightly but I kept my cool and let out an easy breath.

"You…you called me Katherine when you were in the tree. I only assumed you thought I was this Katherine because of your mix up." I said trying to sound convincing and like I had no inside information. Damon pursed his lips and propped his arms out behind him so he was sitting at around a forty-five degree angle.

"Right." He drawled bringing his hand up to his face and pulling it away with faint blood smeared on his finger tips. He grimaced and wiped the blood onto the grass next to him. I had never seen Damon repulsed by blood, I always imagined him jumping for joy every time someone got a paper cut. "Katherine, please stop kidding and explain to me this new game you have come up with." He finally deadpanned. I ground my teeth together and frowned, he needed to understand that I was not, by any means, Katherine.

"I am not Katherine." I said again a little more forcefully.

"I find it interesting you somehow made your hair straight and made some sort of odd garments to wear, very deceiving." He said ignoring my comment about not being Katherine. I brought my hand up to my face and pulled it down in agitation. Even in 1864 Damon and his stubbornness were infuriating.

"I am not Katherine." I hissed as I stood up. "Now I am glad you are okay, but please leave me alone." I said beginning to walk away.

"Wait!" Damon called sitting up from the ground and running after me. "I need to understand what is going on, if you are not Miss Pierce, then who are you?" Damon asked coming to stand in front of me. I frowned and sidestepped to the right, he mimicked me and stood in my path, I sidestepped to the left and he did it again. It all reminded me of when I officially first met Stefan outside the boy's bathroom at school, of course at that point getting in each others way had been an accident, but this however was extremely intentional.

"Would you stop doing that?" I asked as I glared up at Damon. For some reason I felt comfortable enough to push my luck with this new and very different version of Damon, I was taking a chance at not making a run for it now. But for some reason I wanted to see how this would play out, see how Damon would react to the idea of me, but how am I to be sure he won't tell Katherine about me, or worse, tell Stefan?

"I will let you go when you answer my questions." He said crossing his arms. I sighed and closed my eyes trying to think of someway to prove I wasn't Katherine, anything I knew would make it seem like I was Katherine. "If I go and check Katherine's quarters and I find her there and you still outside, will you explain to me who you really are?" He asked.

"Yes…but only if you say nothing about me. Deal?" I asked wanting to protect myself from Katherine as long as possible. I needed to stay under the radar for as long as I could. I had a feeling Katherine hadn't changed much over the years so she wouldn't react kindly to a doppelganger. Damon raised an eyebrow but didn't question my term.

"Alright, now stay put." He said taking a step toward the carriage house. "I will be back soon." He said turning away and running to the house. I let out a moan and slid down the floor against the tree bark.

"I am so screwed." I mumbled into my hands as I let out a silent yell of frustration.

* * *

**Poor Elena, how annoying would it be to know the person you are talking to but them not know you? I would think very annoying. I am happy to announce we will get to see a bit of Vampire Damon next chapter, everyone can cheer if you want. Now for a question to the readers, would you like me to write a few bits about what's going on in present Mystic Falls or stay with Vampire Damon and Human Damon/Elena? Input is very much appreciated! Now please do me a huge favor and leave a review! Thanks! :)**

**-Lioness002**

**P.S. Thirty minutes till the 60's Dance episode, I am so excited! :)**


	7. Old Flames

**Wow everyone, I am so sorry it has been so long! So much school and sports…and I kept starting more stories…Hehe, my bad. :)****So, you all have my sincere apology it has been so long. In this chapter we finally get to see what has happened to our dearly loved Vampire Damon. Did he end up in Mystic Falls or somewhere else? So, here is chapter seven and I really hope everyone will enjoy and leave me a review when they are done reading. Thanks! -Lioness002 -I Own Nothing **

* * *

If this was what hell was like, maybe it wasn't that bad. Sure it was boring and there was nothing as far as the eye could see, but it was peaceful and silent. No one and nothing to mess with or torture you, no one to rip your heart to shreds, no one to be disappointed with you. No one except you. If this was really hell than the real problem was you. An eternity of nothing but yourself and your unrelenting thoughts of what ifs, possibilities, lost loved ones, strife, and pain. Your deepest regrets, wishes and fears all blurred into one place. Okay, so maybe hell was all bad.

I had never felt so senseless or claustrophobic in my life, and that included my short twenty two years as a human. The blackness was all consuming, it had all the power and for one of the first times in my life, I felt powerless. I knew this was all part of Bonnie's little spell, but the feeling was eerie. I was falling through time apparently, when Elena went through this she had no idea what was going on. She must have been so afraid and confused. I felt anger bubbling up inside of me at the thought. If Bonnie and Stefan hadn't insisted on testing Bonnie's new powers, Elena wouldn't be missing and I wouldn't be being sent to God only knows where.

With my super enhanced sight I caught the first glimpses of light at the bottom of this endless free fall. I frowned, not much time had passed, and I know I had been falling for less than ten minutes, it should have taken longer if I were going to 1864. As the light drew nearer I heard a faint voice drifting through the endless abyss and it said my name. I turned my head and searched for its source but I saw nothing but the endless darkness colliding with the blinding light. I let out a grunt as I felt something wrap around my waist and pull me toward the light before I heard my name once again, this time however it was different.

"_Goodnight Damon." _I heard an innocent and sweet voice whisper. I knew it was Elena's voice but the closer I got to the light the farther I got from the voice. _"Damon." _The voice whispered more weakly the farther I fell.

"Elena?" I called searching for her, looking for a sign that she was there or could hear me, but I knew better. These were thoughts, wishes, wants. Wherever Elena was she was thinking about me. The thought brought a small smile to my face; she was thinking about me, she wanted me there. The second I started thinking about Elena, I got a flash of an image, a dream full of green leaves and mysterious chocolate brown eyes.

_"I can see you. You can come down." _I heard myself say as I stood up from the ground and looked up into the branches of an apple tree. I knew this tree, it was the tree my mother had planted when my father and she got engaged, and this was back on the old property. I stared at the green leaves looking at one thing in particular, a pair of chocolate colored eyes, a pair I knew very well. _"You don't need to be afraid, if you want an apple, take one." _I said as I felt my arms opening wide motioning to the surplus amount of apples the tree bore. This wasn't a dream because I had no control; it was like I was inside of myself watching. A memory I had long forgotten, or maybe a brand new one. _"Do you know how to talk?" _I heard myself deadpan to whoever was in the tree.

"_Yes." _The voice snapped. It wasn't just any voice though, it was Elena, I would know her sweet voice anywhere. So Elena had met me in 1864, that seemed to be the only explanation for what I was seeing. The rest went by in a blur as I saw the tree and Elena; I felt the sensation of falling, blackness and then waking up to Elena's worried face.

All of this went by in a matter of seconds before I blacked out for a second and was hurtled from the sky. My eyes widened as I saw ground looming closer and closer to me. I braced for impact as I closed my eyes but I never felt the ground, my body jerked to a stop and I opened one of my eyes to see I was about two feet off the ground.

"What the?" I whispered just as I felt the invisible force leave and let me drop to the ground with a thud. I let out a groan of annoyance and blinked dirt away from my eyes as I rolled onto my back. I sat there for a second before I heard a sound I was not expecting to hear, cars. I felt my forehead wrinkle in confusion, there weren't cars in 1864, carriages, yes, cars, no.

"You have got to be kidding me." I hissed pushing myself up from the ground and standing up so I could brush myself off. I rubbed my head and silently cursed Bonnie and her prejudice toward me, that girl really knew how to hold a grudge. She sent me to the wrong time on _purpose,_ because I was certainly thinking about 1864. Why wouldn't she just let the past go, she had sent me back to _protect _Elena, not wander aimlessly through time.

I turned around and tuned out all the natural noise and focused solely on the hustle and bustle of the city. My ears tuned in on the sound of honking horns, laughing, running, water, shattering glass, and the muffled sound of numerous footsteps. I turned in that direction and quickly began running at vampire speed toward the city. I needed to get sent farther back, I needed to get back and protect Elena. Time ironically enough was not on my side.

After about five minutes of running I burst through the trees and ran smack into a young woman with red hair and glasses. She let out an oof and fell on her butt dropping her backpack and purse. I crouched down and began to pick up her things that were quickly beginning to scatter as people stepped all over them and kicked them farther away. She blinked a couple of times before looking in front of her and then behind her before looking at me in confusion as she began to pick up some of her things as well.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't see you there." She apologized to me before picking up a pencil pouch and putting things back into her purse. I nodded quickly and handed her some papers.

"It's fine." I said dismissively. She nodded quickly before taking the papers from my hands and stuffing them into her backpack.

"Oh, alright. Are you sure you're not hurt?" She asked staring at me. I nodded and stood up when all of her things had been put away.

"I assure you I am fine. Now I would suggest you continue running back to wherever you were going." I said with a smirk. She nodded and quickly stood up and began to walk away.

"That's a good idea." She said over her shoulder as she ran off in the direction she was originally going. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

"Well, this is a problem." I muttered. "Where am I supposed to find a witch to send me to 1864 when I don't even know the date?" I thought as I watched people of all kinds, shapes, and sizes walk by. Suddenly I eyed a husky man with a mustache and a suit as he was walking down the street with a newspaper in hand. I smiled and sped into a nearby ally where the man would cross my path. A few short minutes later, the husky businessman walked by while whistling a peppy show tune and saying good morning to passer buyers. I snickered before I sped forward pushing the man over and grabbing the paper out of his grasp. I stopped on the other side of the street to watch the man as confusion crossed his face over what had just happened to him. I laughed as he looked around wide eyed before picking up his dropped things and hurrying away.

"Humans." I laughed under my breath as I unfolded the paper looking for a date. My eyes scanned the slightly wrinkled paper before I let out a groan and tossed the paper into a nearby trashcan in annoyance. "Not the nineties again. Why did it have to be the nineties Bonnie sent me too?" I complained rubbing my forehead. I sighed under my breath and looked around; the newspaper had said Alabama 1999, so that meant it had moved me to the wrong state as well as the wrong time. Elena had been born, but she was only six.

I needed a witch and the only one I could count on was the one I really didn't want to deal with. Bonnie had no idea what she was, she wouldn't for another eleven years and I certainly wasn't going to ask her grandmother. She wouldn't me out then and she wouldn't help me now. So that left me with only one option, a witch that in this time, hated my lying guts.

"Georgia, here I come."

* * *

I drove my stolen car up to the curb and cut the engine as I pulled down my sunglasses and stared at the building. The place didn't look to different besides the fact the paint was new and the windows were clean. The awning that held the sign also looked white instead of the faded and discolored yellow it had become back in 2010. I sighed as I got out of the car, closed the door behind me, and I shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked across the deserted street. Fate had a way of sticking it to you in the oddest ways possible, of course I would need help from one of my past or…future victims. It was just the universes way of laughing in my face about the fact I needed help from someone I would end up killing.

I stepped into the small building and removed my sunglasses as I stared at the young woman with brown hair and almond skin who was serving drinks at the bar. Her eyes flicked up to see who had entered and when she realized it was me they widened in surprise. I smiled lightly and walked over to the bar and sat down next to a wasted man that looked homeless.

"Well looky who we have here." She said placing a glass on the counter and filling it up with scotch. I nodded my thanks and picked the glass up and placed it against my head in thought.

"Looky indeed." I muttered as I downed the alcohol and it burned a trail down my throat. I put the empty glass onto the counter and she filled it back up without a word. I could tell she wasn't too pleased to see me, she was tense and jumpy. Me just up and leaving one day didn't help the situation much either.

"So what brings you to my humble abode?" She quipped as she placed a hand on her hip. I looked up at her and shrugged.

"I need a favor." I said truthfully. I was in no mode to play dumb and I didn't have the time to catch up. I needed to get to Elena as soon as possible, her in 1864 with vampires and her looking exactly like Katherine did not put her in a good position.

"Really Damon? Please tell me this isn't about Katherine." I snorted and shook my head.

"Ha, no."

"Finally see she was no good?" She asked. I looked up and smirked.

"Yep." I said downing the second scotch. She stayed silent and just stared at me for a second before nodding slowly. "Why do you think I will help you? You and I didn't leave on such good terms." She said crossing her arms.

"Optimistic hope and the thought that you would be willing to help me in a time of desperate need."

"Please don't tell me that you need my help because of another girl." I smirked and rubbed my forehead.

"Guilty." I laughed dryly.

"Who is it this time?" She said putting both of her hands onto the counter and leaning toward me. I smirked and shook my head.

"Katherine's Doppelganger." She rolled her eyes and got a bottle from above her before pouring it in my glass. "The good stuff?" I asked tipping my glass toward her.

"Yep, because Honey, you need it."

"Yes I do." I said as I swirled the amber liquid in my glass before I finally decided to give in. I looked up at her with honest and pleading eyes, I let my guard down for just a second to show her how much this meant to me.

"Please Bree; I need your help to save the girl I love. She means more to me than anyone or anything. I need to save her, protect her from the harm and danger she's in." She stared at me for a second and I really thought she would refuse. I held my breath as her shoulders slumped and she let out a deep breath.

"Alright," she sighed, "what do you need me to do?"

* * *

**Yay, chapter seven is done! Again everyone I am soooo sorry it took forever, I am hoping I can update this story a lot more frequently now that I have more free time. Who expected for Damon to go to Bree? Life is messed up isn't it? He kills her in the future but she will still help him in the past. So who would you like to see next chapter, our favorite Vampire Damon or our happy human's back in 1864? Tell me what you want and please tell me how I did on the chapter. So thanks for reading a please leave a review! Thanks! :) -Lioness002**


	8. Promise Me

**I am so sorry it has been so long everyone! I had trouble finishing **_**I Saved Your Life **_**so it was taking over my writing life. I am really sorry. :(**** On the bright side I have finished **_**I Saved Your Life**_**! Yay, more time to write for **_**Lost in Time**_**! :) The last chapter we were with Damon and Bree but by popular demand we are back with Human Damon and Elena. The last time we saw them Damon had just run off to see where Katherine was. Poor boy, still in love with Katherine, we'll have to change that. :) So I hope everyone will enjoy and please leave me a review! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

I had been sitting against the tree for a total of ten minutes before Damon returned, without a scratch on his face I might add. Katherine must have given him some blood to heal it. It sickened me that Damon loved her so much when she would cause him nothing but pain in the future.

"Well, you're still here," Damon sighed crouching down to my level, "and Miss Pierce is in her quarters. You are indeed who you say you are Miss Elena. It's eerie though, how much you look like her." He whispered tilting his head to the side slightly while his eyes scanned over me. The intensity of his stare gave me butterflies, it was like he was drawing me in and locking me away for memory. "How is it possible?" He breathed.

"Genetics." I said.

"I didn't know Katherine had any living family, let alone a twin."

"I'm not really related to her." I said as my eyes looked around making sure there was no one spying on us. Damon cocked his head at my edginess and looked over his shoulder before looking at me with a raised brow.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

"I'm not supposed to be here, Damon." Damon's eyes narrowed and I realized my mistake just a second to late. I flinched back and jumped up from the tree. "I have to go." I said turning and walking away as Damon stood.

"I didn't tell you my name." Damon said quickly catching up to me and walking next to me. "And now that I think about it," Damon said standing in front of me and pointing an accusatory finger at me, "you woke me up using my name."

I shook me head and ran past Damon as quickly as I could. I ran for the trees but I could hear Damon running after me. I burst through the trees and was thankful for the cover; I was less likely to be seen by someone else. That is, if Damon didn't get me first, and if he did, I was done. If he caught me there was no way to stop the inevitable, Damon would take me Katherine who would then kill me, I was doomed. And even if he didn't do that everyone else in town would know Katherine, I would have to hide or pretend to be her.

I pushed my legs to run faster but I could feel Damon getting closer by the second. I jumped over a fallen log and landed in the mossy grass before running again. I looked over my shoulder and saw Damon less than five feet behind me but just as I turned around I felt my foot get caught on something on the forest floor, I tripped and skidded to halt on the wet grass. I let out a moan and looked up to see Damon staring down at me. He held out his hand and with a sigh I took it.

"Now that you have stopped running, who are you?" He asked again hoisting me up from the ground.

"I told you, my name is Elena." I said brushing leaves off myself.

"Yes, I know, you told me." He said staring at me curiously. I looked over at him and pulled my hair behind my ear.

"What?" I asked now self conscious.

"You know things, are you a physic?" He asked at which I laughed and shook my head.

"No, I'm just a girl." I smiled.

"Then how did you get here? Where is your family? How do you know my name? Why were you in my mother's apple tree?" My mouth twitched and I fought the urge to smile at the last question.

"Those are a lot of questions that I really wouldn't know how to answer." I said honestly taking a step back as he stepped forward. Darn his curiosity!

"Why?" He asked quizzically.

"Because if I told you anything about me or where I am from, or what I'm doing here, it would change everything in your life." I whispered staring into his eyes and almost pleading for him to understand.

"I thought you said you were just a girl."

"I am! I'm just mixed up in some weird and dangerous circumstances." I stopped and looked at him. "And I don't know why I am telling you this."

"Why wouldn't you?"

"I already told you! It would change everything you believe in."

"Miss Elena, I assure you that you wouldn't surprise me in the slightest. I am very…up to date about going on's in the world." Damon smiled.

Of course he would think that. He thinks because he knows about vampires and witches that nothing I have to say would shock him. Right.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure I would." I bit back. My situation was almost laughable, even in 1864 when Damon didn't know me we were bickering. Damon raised an eyebrow and leaned up against a nearby tree.

"You don't act like a normal woman." Damon said eyeing me. My mouth opened in surprise by his bluntness.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, I mean no offense." Damon said while his eyes widened surprisingly making him look younger.

"Yes you do, you always do." I said irritably.

"There it is again, your statements make it sound as if you know me." I let out an annoyed breath and began to walk away before I felt Damon's hand lightly grab my elbow. I stopped and looked over my shoulder at him expecting to see anger or annoyance but instead I saw…confusion. "Miss Elena, I need to ask, do you know me?" My annoyance washed away the second I meant his eyes, they looked so vulnerable and lost. I lightly bit my tongue and tried to pull away but Damon kept me in place. "Please, I only ask because I feel as if I know you." I stopped and looked at him in shock.

"What?" I asked in surprise.

"You seem familiar, your personality and fire, and I'm not saying this just because you look like Miss Pierce." His eyes scanned over my face. "So I ask again, do I know you?" He asked releasing my elbow.

On the inside I desperately wanted to tell this understanding and almost kind Damon everything, about the future and how he was my friend, but my head told me not to. Don't make connections or tell anyone about who you are or where you're from. Damon sensed my turmoil and sighed.

"I can keep a secret." He whispered. I bit my lip and looked around.

"I'm trusting you, Damon. Do you promise not to tell anyone? Not your father, brother, or even Katherine." I said. Damon nodded warily as he gave me an odd look about the fact I knew he had a brother. "Then start drinking vervain." I said. Damon's eye's widened and he took a step back from me.

"What?"

"You wanted to know. If I tell you anything I need to be sure Katherine can't compel you. She would not be happy to know there is a clone of her in Mystic Falls."

"How did you-"

"I know a lot of things Damon. One being Katherine is a vampire along with many others. You and your brother Stefan are both fighting for her affections but she has promised it will be you and her forever." I said watching his face flash with so many emotions it was overwhelming. "Now promise me, promise you won't tell _anyone_." I pleaded. "Please." I whispered. Damon must have seen something in my gaze or just felt like he needed to listen to me, because he took a step toward me and nodded.

"I won't tell anyone." He assured.

"And?"

"I'll...start drinking vervain." He whispered giving me a hard look. "I don't know why, but I feel like I need to hear what you have to say."

Was it fate that brought me to Damon or was it just my accident? I couldn't be sure, but for some reason when I decided I would tell him, I felt relief wash through my body.

"Who are you? Where are you from?" He asked. I took a deep and painful breath before I locked eyes with Damon, now was the moment of truth. I would either make an ally or seal my fate.

"My name is Elena Gilbert." I said slowly. "I'm Katherine Pierce's Doppelganger, an exact replica of her physically. I was born in the year 1993 in Mystic Fall, Virginia. I'm seventeen years old and...I'm from your future."

* * *

**So there's the new chapter. Everyone has no idea how hard it was to do this and try to find the right balance between cocky Damon and sweeter Damon. The idea of Elena telling him couldn't just be out of the blue, there had to be some…bumps. So please everyone, tell me how I did and leave a review! Thanks for reading! I am hoping I can update soon. The next chapter sure will be interesting. :)**

**-Lioness002**


	9. Trust For Trust

**Well, here we are again. Lets see how Damon reacts to Elena's little nugget of information from the last chapter. How will he take it and what information will be revealed? So I hope everyone enjoys! Please review! :)**** -I Own Nothing**

**-Lioness002**

* * *

Damon stared at me for a few seconds before he slowly started backing away like a cornered animal. "You're from where?" He whispered taking another step away from me. I felt a small lump of regret in my throat as I second guessed my decision to tell Damon, he looked absolutely terrified.

"I'm from the future, _your_ future to be exact." I whispered desperately trying to make him understand that I wasn't crazy as I watched his eyes widened and his mouth drop in surprise. I bit my lip and waited for the outcome of my confession. At this point Damon just looked like he was about to pass out or run for the hills, my guess was run for the hills.

"I'm sorry Miss, I would love to listen to your story, but I have to go." He said taking another step back and holding his hands up as if he were trying to ward me off when I took a step forward. "Please, don't come any closer." He said turning and quickly walking away.

"Damon, no!" I yelled running after him and stopping in front of him. He jerked and looked down at me hesitantly as I pressed my hands flat against his chest to keep him still. "Please just listen to me." I whispered. "If you give me a chance to explain everything will make sense."

"I was willing to listen to you before I realized you were mentally disturbed." Damon said removing my hands from his chest like they were toxic waste. He wanted nothing to do with me, I was _nothing_ to him and I don't know why that bothered me so much. He looked down at me uncomfortably before slowly walking around my body. I stood still and let him walk away; if he didn't want anything to do with me I could do nothing about it.

"I never thought you'd be the one to reject me." I whispered trying to fight back the tears of betrayal and fear, I was alone. Damon stopped suddenly and turned to look at me over his shoulder.

"What?" He asked. My gaze flicked to him before I rubbed one of my arms.

"Out of everyone I know, I never thought you of all people would reject me. I guess I was wrong." I whispered dejectedly. "I'll leave you alone now. You can go back to your life of being Katherine's boy-toy. You can't blame a girl for trying to help her friend." I said shrugging and taking a step back.

"You don't know me! I don't know you!" He hissed angrily.

"Yes I do, and I can prove it." I said boldly. At this Damon stopped completely and turned around fully.

"How?" He asked.

"A photograph." I said pulling out my phone. I heard Damon take in a breath when he saw my phone. I looked up and smiled at his confusion at the mechanical compact device resting in my hand; it probably looked like something from aliens in outer space.

"It's called a cell phone if you wanted to know. It's so people can talk to each other anywhere around the world whenever they want." I said pulling up my photo gallery. I heard the crunching of leaves as Damon took a step forward.

"Is it witchcraft?" He asked as I saw his brow furrow in confusion.

"No, it's a machine. Mechanics and technology have come a far way in 145 years." I said pulling up a picture of Damon and me from Georgia. I held my phone out to Damon and he just stared at it. "It's not going to hurt you." I said taking a step closer and putting my phone in his hands and covering mine over his. The feeling of being connected to Damon was comforting and surprising, his hands felt so warm and when I looked up into his eyes I saw warmth.

I don't know how long we stared at each other but gradually I drew my hands away from his and took a step back. Damon dropped his arms and stared at me for a second before pulling his free hand through his hair. His blue eyes were piercing as he gripped my phone causing a beep. Damon jumped and dropped the phone on the ground causing me to laugh. He looked up me disbelievingly as I ran up and grabbed the phone from the ground.

"Was it supposed to do that?" Damon whispered wide eyed as I giggled and nodded.

"Yeah, you just turned up the volume of the ringer." I said handing it back to him.

"Ringer?" He asked raising an eyebrow in my direction.

"Not important." I said waving his question off. Damon stayed silent just looking at me. "What?" I asked brushing my hair behind my ear.

"The way you act around me is so…familiar." Damon said, the words leaving his mouth hesitantly. "Are we…together in your future?" He asked searching my face for some sort of an answer. I cleared my throat and downcast my eyes to the mossy leaf strewn ground.

"No, we're just friends." I whispered quietly looking back up.

"Really?" Damon asked and I thought I saw a whisper of his signature smirk.

"Really." I said trying to hold back a blush under Damon intent gaze.

Damon pursed his lips at me before he gingerly held the phone up to the light and flipped it over a few times before looking at the screen. I saw his body tense at the realization he _was_ in the picture before he rubbed his thumb over the screen.

"You said you were seventeen, correct?" Damon whispered staring intently at the picture.

"Yes." I said watching his face flash with confusion, fear, sadness, and even anger.

"How can I be there if this is so far in the future?" He paused and looked at me. "When was this taken?" He whispered softly looking at me with fearful eyes.

"2010." I said watching his eyes narrow as he looked back at the screen.

"But I look…young…the same. How is that possible?" He asked looking up at me. I bit my lip and took a small step forward until I was standing right next to him.

"Damon…" I whispered gently placing my hand on his shoulder. The action in itself sent an electric shock through my fingertips that made me want to gasp. He looked down at me sincerely, his beautiful eyes filled with wonder and fear meeting my sad and serious gaze. "Damon, in the future, you're a vampire." I whispered.

I flinched as I saw his jaw clench as he roughly handed me my phone back.

"No, you're lying." He hissed backing away from me.

"I'm not lying." I bit out. "Look at the picture, this is you! You are un-aged and untouched because you're a vampire; time has no impact on you so you look the same."

"But that can't be, if I were a vampire I would be with Katherine." He ground out giving me a hard stare. "Why did you fail to mention that I was a vampire before?" He asked suddenly.

"Because it's a sensitive subject," I snapped, "I can't tell you everything. I just needed to prove to you that I wasn't lying or crazy." I said coming to stand in front of him. "Do you believe me?" I asked.

"Yes, but where is Katherine in this future? I obviously wouldn't be around you if I had her." I frowned and crossed my arms at his statement. He was so mislead it was depressing, how could he have loved someone so deeply and have them not care in the slightest? Katherine was at a loss, she had someone that would've been faithful to her forever if only she hadn't crushed his heart.

"Not really sure." I lied keeping my voice even.

"Is she…dead?" Damon asked.

"No, she's just not around. She doesn't really care about anyone but herself."

"But…she told me-"

"That she loved you?" I finished. "Well that was a lie." Damon lurched back and looked at me with a venomous glare.

"How would you know?" He hissed.

"Because you told me you spent 145 years searching for her. The founding families plotted on how to get rid of all the vampires in Mystic Falls, they decided to burn the tomb in the church. Katherine got captured and put in the tomb, you asked Emily Bennet to protect her. But when the church burned you thought she was dead."

"Then why did I turn? I wouldn't want to be in a world without her." Damon gasped. I grimaced and sighed, now for the hard part.

"I'm not filled in on the whole story, but from what I know, you and Stefan tried to save her the night she was taken." I said trying to remember the full story. "You almost did but you both got shot in the process, effectively killing you both when you had vampire blood in your system." At this Damon frowned and clenched his hands together.

"Stefan had blood in his system?" Damon said. I nodded and absently grabbed my vervain filled necklace.

"You both turned into vampires after that."

"How?" Damon asked again.

"Stefan forced you to feed; he didn't want to be alone. You two have been fighting since then, you blamed Stefan for Katherine's death and you promised him an eternity of misery for turning you. It was only after you had turned that you found out Katherine was sealed inside the tomb, safe." Damon held his forehead and stumbled over to a nearby log and sat down. I walked slowly over to him and sat down. "You wanted to know."

"I know, and I thank you for being honest with me." Damon said staring off into the distance. "Forgive me if I seem…ungrateful. It's just a lot to take in." He mumbled resting his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands.

"It turns out she was never inside to begin with," I continued, "she had been free the whole time and never once saw you." Damon looked over at me like I had slapped him. The information I was giving him was not something he wanted to hear or believe. I felt my face soften and I sighed. "I know how hard you took it because I was there the night it happened." I whispered closing my eyes and shaking off the memory of Damon's devastated and defeated expression after I had seen him outside the tomb. "She was the reason for your existence, and when you found out she wasn't there…you took it really hard."

"But she said she loved me."

"I know." I whispered placing my hand on his shoulder. Damon looked at me from the side of his eye and then turned to look at my hand on his shoulder. My eyes widened and withdrew my hand. "I'm sorry if that bothers you." I mumbled scooting a bit farther away from him.

"No, not really. It's just surprising how natural it feels." He said staring at me curiously. "How did we meet, in this future of yours I mean?" He smirked.

"That is a very long and complicated story destined for another time." I said shaking my head.

"Fine, then can you answer a question of mine?" He asked hopefully.

"It depends on what the question is." I smiled well naturedly.

"How did you end up in 1864 if you live in the 21st century?" He asked suspiciously.

"Well, one of my best friends is a witch." I said. "Bonnie, that's my friends name; she just obtained a large amount of new power from another witch or…warlock." I said remembering the correct term for a male witch. "When we were practicing to see what she could do, a spell went wrong and I ended up here. Most likely because I am Katherine's doppelganger so we automatically we have some sort of cosmic connection," _which sucks _I added in my mind, "and because you and Stefan are here." I finished.

"Stefan and I?" He asked in surprise.

"You and Stefan are a very big part of my life in years to come."

"Hmm, so Stefan is in this future of yours as well." Damon summarized and I thought I heard a bit of jealousy in his tone.

"Yes, he is. I think I mainly ended up here because I trust you both so much…and because you are always saving me." I said smiling at all of the times Stefan and Damon had kept me safe from some sort of freaky supernatural enemy, the list was extensive.

"Danger? What do you get yourself into?" Damon asked his forehead knitting together in question. I smiled and bit my lip as I turned more toward him as I placed my hands in my lap.

"I don't get myself into much trouble. Most of my problems are because I am Katherine's doppelganger and she has made a lot of enemies in the past. Vampires kidnap me because I look like her." I said frowning. "You and Stefan always rescue me though." I said trying to lighten the mood when I saw Damon gazing off into the distance.

"From what I hear you saying, it seems like you don't like Miss Pierce."

"Hehe, not really."

"Why? She's…indescribable."

"Because she wants to make my life miserable and she's angry that you and Stefan pay so much attention to me, mainly Stefan though. She's jealous that she can't control Stefan anymore and that he's moved on."

"And what about me? How do I feel toward Katherine?"

"Well, that again is very complicated. When I first met you, Katherine was everything to you; you loved her to a fault. You did everything you could to try and save her but then you realized she was never even inside the tomb, and that crushed you. You were going to leave Mystic Falls, but that night I got in an accident and you saved me."

"What type of accident?" He asked worriedly. "Were you injured?"

"Nothing except for my heart." I whispered. I shook myself and smiled in Damon's direction trying to shake off my second of distress. "But long story short, I was angry at Stefan because I found a picture of Katherine in his room, and that was before I knew she looked exactly like me, so I was very confused and angry. So after you saved me from a dangerous situation involving a vampire, you took me to have a good time and take a time-out from my life. That was around the time you and I really started to get closer." I said watching Damon as he intently listened to my quick retell of part of his future.

"Then enters Katherine." I said grimacing. "She came back to town a few months later and caused a huge uproar. I was really worried about you and Stefan because she was what separated you two to begin with, you were both just starting to become brother's again, at least a little."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but how much do I really hate Stefan, because it sounds like I despise him. I don't understand that, he is my brother and I love him." Damon said almost sounding very young. The vulnerability in his voice and eyes shattered my heart into a million pieces, he cared so much for Stefan now, but because of Katherine he hates his brother in the future.

"You both have issues, mainly about Katherine but some about your beliefs and lifestyle. Stefan only feeds on animal blood and has forsaken his nature while you…seem to love it." I mumbled.

"What's the nature of your connection with my brother?"

"What?" I gasped pulling back.

"I only asked because the way you talk about him and the way you talk about my future self differ." I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair.

"You picked up on that, huh? Well, in the future Stefan and I are dating." When Damon gave me an odd look I sought for another word. "We're together or in a relationship." I clarified.

"Oh." Damon said his gaze sliding away from me.

"Damon-" I stared but I was interrupted by a clap of thunder off in the distance causing me and Damon to jump. I looked up at the trees and could hear the creaking of strained wood as the wind harshly blew above us; another thunder storm seemed to be on its way. Damon stood up and held out his hand to help me up from the log. I nodded my thanks and took his hand as he hoisted me up.

"Where are you staying?" Damon almost yelled trying to be heard above the thunder and monstrous wind that was quickly surrounding us in the forest.

"I'm staying in an abandoned barn on the other side of town." I said shaking slightly at the quickly cooling temperature. This storm had come out of nowhere; it had been hot and sunny a few hours ago and now it was end of the world weather.

"What? You can't stay there, you'll fall ill." Damon said stepping closer to me.

"It's the only place I can go, anywhere else and people would see me. If I'm seen I'm dead, how do you think the people of Mystic Falls would react to a clone?" I asked crossing my arms trying to keep from shivering.

"If you had a convincing story they would have nothing to question." Damon said wrapping his hand around my wrist. "You can stay at the estate."

"With Katherine, are you crazy? That's the worst possible place I could stay, she would _kill_ me." I yelled trying to pull away. Suddenly there was a deafening boom and then a flash before both Damon and I heard snapping branches from above us.

"I would protect you; you'd be safe with me." Damon said as his eyes pleaded for me to accept. "Please, you can't stay here or in a barn, this storm is much greater than yesterdays."

"I can't, it will mess up everything! Me conversing with you has already changed the future, being around people from my future would be too risky." I cried out as rain poured down on us, soaking Damon and I to the bone.

"Then what do you have to lose?" Damon yelled. I opened my mouth to say something but his statement was true. I had already changed the future, what more could happen? I hesitated and bit my lip as my eyes searched his.

"I want to trust you, but Katherine will-"

"I won't let her hurt you. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." Damon said cupping my face in his hands. "You need to trust me if I'm going to trust you." I felt my heart beat accelerate at Damon's gentle touch. I gently placed one of my hands over his and I felt tears begin to cascade down my cheeks blending in with the rain.

"Alright," I whispered lightly pulling away from his grasp but letting my fingers stay connected to his just a few seconds longer than custom, "I'll stay with you." Damon let out a relieved breath and motioned for me to follow him out of the forest.

"You won't regret it." He said grabbing my hand as I began to run after him toward the house.

* * *

**Wow everyone that turned out so much longer than I had planned. Woo, I am exhausted, this chapter took so much tweaking and working out to get just right. So please everyone, tell me how I did and please leave a review. Thanks! :) -Lioness002**

**P.S. Did anyone go to Comic-Con this week? Because I keep hearing about this 5 second clip with a **_**naked, **_**soapy Damon getting out of the shower and then Elena walking into his room and seeing him. I wanted to know if anyone could confirm that. And if anyone has the clip please post it on Youtube or something like that so the world can see. Thanks!**


	10. Soul Connection

**Hey, sorry for the wait everyone. I just stated High School so I have been super busy with adapting and all the homework. And then once I actually got used to my schedule and teachers, they changed it because of the stupid people that dropped out of my AP English class. Life sucks sometimes. :(**** On another note, who loved the season 3 premiere? I know I did. We are starting off with Elena and Damon again in 1864. ****Let's see how all of this pays off. :) So here is chapter ten and I warn everyone a lot happens, some things good, some not so much. So I hope everyone enjoys and will leave me a review. Thanks! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

The rain had drenched Damon and me both to the bone before we even got close to the Salvatore Estate. I was shivering and my hair was plastered to my head as I stood next to Damon at the back of the house. I couldn't help but look at the way the rain made his shirt cling to him like a second skin showing off his well toned muscles, it was almost useless to even wear it, it left little to imagination considering it was white and became see through thanks to the rain.

Damon must have felt my eyes on him because he turned to look at me with a questioning gaze. I froze momentarily before I rubbed my arms trying to warm myself up. Damon turned around again and walked around the corner of the house staying in the shadows and away from windows and I did the same. We did this until we reached a large tree that was easily twenty feet high with dark grey and chipping bark and had gnarled branches that reached up toward the overcast sky.

"How is this going to work?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure someone is going to ask questions about a girl that looks exactly like Katherine." Damon blinked and hesitantly nodded.

"I know, I have been thinking about that. You obviously seem to know about what happens to vampires in this godforsaken town, so maybe bringing you straight into the house would be dangerous. I have an idea of how you can get into the house and where you can stay, but it is…improper." He stumbled trying to find the right words. I gave him an odd look but nodded anyways motioning for him to elaborate.

"Alright, what is it?" I asked. Damon cleared his throat and averted his gaze to the window above us before looking back at me.

"Well…you could sneak into the house…into my…chamber." He said awkwardly. I gazed evenly at him and couldn't help the small smile that graced my lips at seeing Damon obviously nervous about me coming into his room.

"If it's necessary for me to go into your room, and it's alright with you, than yes, I will go along with your plan. And there's no need to be nervous, think of me as…a long time friend." I smiled. Damon blew out an uneven breath and nodded faintly.

"I thought you were going to be cross with me for even considering such a wanton thought." He said honestly.

"1864 and 2011 are two very different places. I've been in your room many times in the future." When Damon gave me a hesitant glance I laughed nervously. "And nothing has ever happened. Usually we just talk. Being in anyone's room in 2011 isn't vulgar or considered improper."

"It isn't?" He asked dumfounded.

"No. So I am fine with going into your room. I'm only worried about what _you_ will think; I don't want you thinking I'm a tramp or a floozy."

"Never." Damon answered back automatically.

"Then we don't have a problem." I smiled kindly.

Damon nodded and quickly jumped up and grabbed one of the branches near the base of the tree and hoisted himself up. I stared up and stood on my tip toes to try and reach but the branch was just out of my grasp. I jumped slightly but couldn't get a good grip so I landed back on the ground with an annoyed sigh. Suddenly Damon's face popped into view and he looked down at me worriedly.

"Would you permit me to touch you?" He asked. I raised an eyebrow but nodded slowly. "Please hold up your arms." He mumbled. I quickly did as I was told and let Damon swing down from the branch by his knees and grabbed onto me just above my elbows. "Hold on tight." He whispered down to me, his blue eyes meeting mine and showing just how close his face was to mine. My breath caught in my throat and I nodded mutely as I gripped his very muscular arms and I felt myself being lifted from the ground. I could feel his firm grip on my arms and I could feel his muscles running smoothly underneath his thin shirt as he pulled me up. Even in 1864 he was crazy strong. He pretty much did a half crunch as he pulled me up so the branch was within reaching distance for me. "Can you grab it?" He asked a little breathlessly.

"Yes." I whispered grabbing firmly onto the branch and pulling myself away from Damon. I sat down on the branch and watched in silent awe as he pulled himself up just with his core muscles. "Well, one obstacle down, infinity to go." I joked half heartedly giving him a quick glance before adverting my gaze trying to hide my slight blush. Why was I _blushing_? He had just pulled me into a tree, how is that making my heart pound or make my stomach feel all fluttery?

"Are you alright Miss Elena?" He asked suddenly snapping me from my thoughts. I turned to look at him and let out a small breath. It surprised me how great he looked soaking wet, it made his dark hair even darker and made him eyes stand out, like little beacons of light.

"Yes." I smiled. "I'm fine, no need to worry."

"Are you sure? You look a little feverish…it must be the rain, lets get inside." He concluded before climbing up the last few branches and gently moving his window up.

"Yeah, it's the rain." I mumbled to myself as I followed after him. "Do you do this a lot?" I asked quickly climbing through his window and landing softly on the floor.

"Do what a lot?" He asked turning to me with a blanket in hand.

"Sneak into your room after dark with strange women." I clarified with a smirk. Damon paled and gave me a nervous look.

"No." He said firmly handing me the blanket. "For the cold." He said softly as he walked behind me and closed the window and drew the curtains. I smiled faintly and wrapped the blanket around my shoulders, it smelled like him.

We stood a few feet from each other just staring because neither of us knew what to do next. To keep myself occupied I let my gaze travel around the room and draw in the detail. The room was extravagant and large, with deep cherry flooring and a large four-poster bed in the center. It was in a sense very much like his room back in 2011; his taste hadn't changed much over the years it seemed. When my gaze landed back on Damon his lips parted as if he were going to speak before we both heard the heavy thump of boots coming down the hall.

"Hide." He hissed quickly. My eyes widened and I nodded as I searched for a placed big enough to hide me, the only place seemed to be under his bed. I practically dove to the floor and scrambled under the bed just as the door burst open and slammed against the wall.

"God Dammit Damon!" A gruff but familiar voice yelled. "Where have you been?" He roared. I sought for the name of the person yelling and it suddenly dawned on me, Giuseppe Salvatore, Damon's father. I had heard him when I had been in the church.

"Hello father." I heard Damon reply monotonously confirming my suspicions. I heard the hiss of a breath and I watched fearfully as two boots moved into view right in front of Damon just a few feet from the bed. I held my hand over my mouth and watched the scene in front of me unfold.

"You didn't answer my question, where have you been? You were expected to be at the counsel meeting, did you just decide to not come?" Giuseppe ground out.

"Yes as a matter of fact." Damon replied coldly. "I informed Stefan; I thought you would be happy to have your _favorite _son by your side." I waited for a reply but all I heard was a loud slap. I felt myself move forward just slightly and titled my head just enough to peer out from the shadows to see Damon covering half of his face.

"You will not show me such disrespect Damon!" Giuseppe bellowed ripping Damon's hand from his face and pulling him toward him by the front of his shirt. "You are the oldest son; the town knows you are the heir to the estate and the family name. I will not have you ruining that because of your outlandish and rebellious nature! You need to get your act together and start acting like an adult!"

"Or what father?" Damon challenged. "We both know that whatever I do won't be good enough for you."

"You are an embarrassment to the name of Salvatore, Damon!" Giuseppe said pushing Damon away like a piece of garbage and stood there as Damon's body and head hit the wall with a loud thump. I squeaked in a breath and fought every urge that was telling me to go over to Damon and wrap him safely in my arms. "Do you know what people think of you?" Giuseppe asked as Damon stood up and gave his father a defiant and loathsome glare. "They think you are a ruthless and spineless traitor! You left the Confederacy and abandoned your beliefs just to spite me."

"No father, not my beliefs, _yours_. You know I have never liked killing!" Damon seethed pacing back and forth in front of the bed. I shrunk back as Giuseppe got closer to the bed causing Damon to stand protectively at the end of the bed. Even when his father was _abusing_ him he was trying to protect me.

"Then you are weak!" He hissed in his face pushing a finger into Damon's chest. "When it comes down to it, you will never be able to protect the ones you love. You will never be the first choice, you will never be good enough, and you will never be enough because Stefan will always be better!" I felt tears prick in my eyes at Giuseppe's harsh words towards Damon. How could a father hate his own son so much? When Damon didn't reply Giuseppe continued. "You are a waste, Damon! Instead of a well manner and respected son I got a gambling, whoring, and drinking bastard!"

"Then why do you even bother with me?" Damon hissed.

"Because I still have the minute hope that you will change."

"Father," Damon said evenly, "if I am ever going to change, it will _never_ be for you."

"Then there is nothing more to say." Giuseppe answered.

"I believe not."

There was a long paused where I assumed Damon and his father were just glaring at each other before Giuseppe stomped over to the door. He wrapped his hand around the doorknob and just before he left he stopped.

"Clean yourself up; we are having Miss Pierce join us for dinner tonight." He said before closing the door and yelling at some maids that had been caught in wrong place at the wrong time and stomping back down the hall and down the stairs to his study.

I stayed frozen in my spot before Damon's soft and slow footsteps stopped at the very end of the bed and he crouched down to meet my gaze. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of him, his face was covered in blood and the early stages of bruises. I felt tears escape my eyes as my hand covered my mouth to hold back a small gasp of horror.

"Oh Damon." I whispered broken heartedly.

"I am truly sorry you had to witness that." He whispered monotonously. "You can come out now; he won't be back to yell at me for a few days."

I crawled forward and Damon stepped back as I stood up from the floor. I looked up at Damon and saw him flinch slightly as he rotated and flexed his shoulder. I felt anger and hatred boil in the pit of my stomach at what Giuseppe had done to him, it was absolutely unfair. The things he had said had been below the belt and completely uncalled for.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it's happened so many times that I am used to it." He said bitterly.

"That isn't right!" I gasped.

"I never said it was." Damon said sitting down on the bed. I kept standing and looked around the room and spotted a water pitcher and a small basin with a cloth folded neatly in it on a table on the other side of the room. I walked over and grabbed them before walking back over to Damon who was still sitting down and poking his body to see where he was injured.

"What are you doing?" He questioned when he looked up and saw me with the pitcher and basin in hand.

"I'm going to fix you up a bit." I said sitting down on the bed and pulling the cloth out of the basin as I poured water into the basin.

"You don't have-"

"I want to." I interrupted flicking my gaze up to his. "It's the least I can do considering this was entirely my fault." I said submerging the cloth and wringing it out over the basin and turning towards Damon. "I'm the reason your father exploded on you." I said gently wiping blood away from Damon's nose. He flinched slightly at the contact but grabbed my wrist and shook his head sadly.

"No, none of this was your fault." He said lightly brushing his thumb on the back of my hand. I looked down at our hands and tried to calm my heart as I scooted a fraction of an inch closer to him and gently placed my hand on his good cheek.

"Turn this way please." I whispered holding him steady and marveling at his soft skin at the same time. He did as he was told and I dipped the bloody towel into the basin and rung it out before gently dabbing at the cut on his cheek. I continued to do this until most of the blood had been removed and he looked less like he had been hit in the face with a hammer. "Well, your face looks better." I concluded.

"Does it? It still feels like its swollen three times the size." I felt my face form a mask of sympathy.

"It's not bad; the swelling won't set in for an hour or two. The only really visual effect from...earlier is your cheek." I said drifting my fingers across the now clean flesh checking for any sign of more bleeding.

"I'll survive." He said waving my comment off but following my hand with his eyes.

"What about your back?" I asked pulling my hand away. Damon froze and turned to look at me with an odd look. I was stumped for a second before I caught his drift.

"I'm not asking you to strip or anything." I giggled. "This is nothing sexual; I just want to make sure you're alright." I whispered.

"No one has ever taken care of me like this, especially a stranger."

"Well, I'm not the average stranger, I already know you." I smiled genuinely.

"But I don't know you." He said evenly.

"You will." I said absently as I gave him a hard stare as if challenging him to not answer my question. He sighed and bowed his head slightly as if trying to hide his face because he thought I was going to think less of him.

"To be honest, I bashed it hard." He said quietly.

"Would you let me look at it? My father was a doctor so I have some experience in the medical field; I can at least tell you if anything is broken or how long the bruise will be there." I said watching Damon's face flash with a plethora of different emotions.

"You are a strange woman, most women would shy away from the idea of seeing me bare, but the unrespectable woman would relish in it. You though are definitely not unrespectable."

"I'm glad you think so, because I can tell that what I am offering is very alien to you."

"Yes, it is, but I account that for the fact you are from a different time. Really all I see is someone who just wants to help." I nodded at his statement, that was the main reason, but the other reason, however small, was still there and the thought of seeing him shirtless was quickly becoming more appealing.

"So…?"

Damon sighed and started to slowly unbutton the damp and bloody shirt and take it off. The fact his shirt was damp only reminded me of the fact that I was still wet and would probably get sick if I didn't get warm soon. As he pulled the thin material over his strong shoulders I crawled behind him to see the extent of the damage.

"Well, good news, nothing is broken." I said running and prodding my fingers along his back causing a small gasp from Damon. I trailed the blossoming bruises along his back to his side where he had hit the wall. He lifted his arm and I grimaced when I saw the dark purple, blue, and almost green colored bruise that was low on his hip. "Right here looks like the worst of the bruising." I said gently holding my hand over it ever so lightly. Damon moved his hand back just enough to have his fingers over mine and I let out a small sigh as our fingers touched.

"God I don't know what I'm doing anymore. I was just trying to be nice and see if he was alright and then all of a sudden I am getting crazy thoughts about him. Yes the sight of him shirtless is a serious turn on, but I am still dating Stefan in the future and this is wrong." I scolded myself grabbing the cloth and gently placing it on his back to cool off his heated bruises. "But is it? Does it count? Technically this is before I even met Stefan. Darn it!" I thought frustrated with myself. "I am making excuses for myself! Why am I feeling something so strong for this Damon when I don't have this strong of feelings for the one back home? Or have I felt this and it's just coming to the surface now? But why, it's the same person, but yet he seems like two different people. Is it because he's human? Here he seems so sweet and vulnerable, like he hasn't become a vindictive and closed off jack ass yet. I can still see my Damon in this one, but it is at a lower octave. I guess when you get turned into a vampire it really does amplify your senses, emotions, and personality."

"How's your head?" I asked weakly trying to stay on task as Damon pulled my hand gently forward closer toward his heart. I would never get used to the sensation of a heartbeat coming from him, it felt amazing though.

"Pounding." He breathed as my finger tips twitched and relaxed against his chest. It could feel his racing pulse and he could probably feel mine. Two people absolutely enthralled with each other but unable to do anything about it.

"I don't understand what I am feeling." He breathed squeezing my hand. "You remind me so of Katherine, but you are so different. I've known you for less than a day and already I am feeling things I shouldn't be." He whispered as his head fell back onto my shoulder. I angled my head down and stared him deep in the eyes as I lightly brushed his bangs from his face. "The way I act around you is so, wrong." He said as his brow furrowed in confusion. "But yet I have no confliction, I feel as if I want this for some reason." I felt my eyes widen slightly and my mind raced toward my Damon.

"Maybe it's a soul connection." I whispered.

"What do you mean?" He asked quietly.

"In 2011 you are in love with me, maybe you are feeling things you will feel in the future. You are the same person so it isn't too much of a stretch. I'm here so maybe it's prying it out of you. That's probably why this unconventional action isn't bothering you like it should."

"It's as good an explanation as any." Damon mumbled as his eyes closed slightly.

"Mm hmm." I mumbled absently as I ran my fingers gently through his silky hair until I found a slight bump. "It this where you hit your head?" I whispered into his ear. He nodded and I ran my finger across it ever so slightly. "I think you will be fine, just put some ice or a damp cloth on it."

"I will work on that." He laughed causing me to giggle. The sound of Damon laughing was like music to my ears and I knew it was fleeting, like a shooting star, every once and a long while. I watched as Damon sat up from my grasp and turn in my direction. I could feel my heartbeat in every part of my body as he stared at me. He placed his hand on my cheek and searched my gaze for any sign of rejection. "Is this crossing boundaries?" He asked worriedly.

"I don't really know anymore." I whispered in response.

"What do you want Miss Elena?" He asked seriously.

I didn't get the chance to answer because as I opened my mouth we were both interrupted by the obtruding noise of knuckles on the wooden door just before it started to swing open.

* * *

**Haha, I know, I am so evil for that cliffhanger. So the only question is what did everyone think? A lot happened in that chapter and it turned out much longer than expected. I really am sorry for the delay, as I mentioned before I started high school and I am doing soccer so those two things are controlling my life. I really hope this extra long chapter was worth the wait and everyone will tell me how I did. Thanks for reading and please review. Thanks! :)**

**-Lioness002**


	11. Love is Blind

**Well, I was hoping I could update this sooner than I have, and I am sorry it's taking so long everybody. I am trying to get my updating faster and faster and at some point I want to get a chapter every other or every week. I bet you all would love that. But if that did happen the chapters would probably be shorter…but no matter at the moment, it is in the future. :)**** So I hope everyone enjoys and you will leave me a review when you are done reading. Thanks! -Lioness002**

* * *

Damon and I both froze in each other grasp as our gazes flicked to the door that was swinging open. I floundered for a second before I ripped myself from Damon's hold and fell onto the other side of the bed with a loud thump.

"Brother," a voice drifted through the door, "may I enter?" Stefan said as he popped his head around the doorframe and stared at his brother who was innocently sitting on his bed. Damon's gaze met Stefan's and he nodded to him as he sat up and strode across the room.

"Yes, you may enter, but whatever could you possibly need?" Damon asked as Stefan watched Damon walk pointlessly around the room. Stefan quietly stepped into the room and let the door swing gently shut behind him as he sat down in the chair next to the door.

"Nothing," Stefan said finally as he folded his hands on his lap, "only to give you my deepest condolences and apologies. Damon, I am so sorry, Father was so cross with you and I tried to defuse his temper, but I fear I only made it worse." Stefan said bowing his head and staring at the floor. Damon stopped pacing and walked over to his brother, crouched down, and placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. His eyes bore into Stefan's downcast gaze and Stefan fidgeted uncomfortably under the intensity.

"Stefan." Damon cut in with a firm voice causing Stefan to quickly look up at him. "I appreciate the thought and effort, but we both know I would have ended up looking like this even if I had gone to the blasted meeting. None of what has occurred tonight was your doing, be at ease little brother." Damon's words caused Stefan's face to light up in excitement and I couldn't help but think of how young it made him look. It was hard to think that Stefan really only was seventeen years old.

"This is a relief." Stefan smiled before he looked around Damon's shoulder. "Did I startle you, Brother? Because I believe when I entered I heard an audible thump." He said standing up and walking towards the bed. I held my breath and slowly started to crawl towards the dark opening that lead under Damon's bed. Damon stopped him before he got any closer to discovering my presence.

"No, nothing fell, are you alright?" Damon lied smoothly as he distracted Stefan by placing his hand on his little brother's forehead. "You feel slightly feverish." Damon said pursing his lips in thought.

"Why are you lying to me Damon?" Stefan asked sounding slightly hurt as he moved away from Damon's touch. "We tell each other everything, why would we stop that now? And I am not hearing things; I know I heard a voice, a woman's voice." Stefan said sounding slightly worried and almost jealous. It took me a minute to understand his slightly icy tone before everything clicked into place, he thought Katherine was in here with Damon, and he was envious of the attention. Stefan and Damon really had fought over Katherine; she was like a steady undercurrent, always present. "If you fear father's retaliation I will stay mute. I would not want you to get into more trouble." Stefan said evenly in monotone volume.

"There was no one here. And I don't care what Father thinks of me." Damon said dismissing Stefan passive aggressive poking and prodding at his personal life.

I stayed mute in my hiding place not wanting to alert Stefan of my presence, for some reason the thought of Stefan knowing about me was unsettling. It made my heart clench and my stomach roil; it made me sick with worry. I heard footsteps come closer to the bed and I held my breath as someone sat down.

"I heard Miss Pierce." Stefan said firmly. I gulped and tried to calm my heart, he had heard me talking. I felt like slamming my head against a wall, since when had Stefan been this stubborn? There was a deadly silence before Stefan continued. "You don't have to tell me, because I know. Just make sure you don't hurt her, Damon, she's been though so much." I couldn't help but be shocked; Stefan was trying to pry an answer out of Damon and it was all so…un-Stefan like. Plus, Stefan was acting untrusting and angry with Damon, I thought they had a better relationship in this time than that.

"Like I said, there was and is _no one_ here. Why would I lie to you?" Damon asked raising a brow. "You are my brother and I don't hide things from you." Stefan pursed his lips before letting out a defeated sigh and nodding slowly before standing up.

"I believe you." He said smiling. "I am sorry if I offended you. I just thought I heard Miss Pierce."

"I forgive you. But you know that even if Miss Pierce had been here it would have lead to unneeded complications, she is not here nor will she ever be." Damon said firmly trying to move the subject along.

"Very well." Stefan said bowing his head in mock. Damon smirked and pushed him toward the door causing Stefan to laugh.

"I will see you at dinner." Damon chuckled as Stefan began to leave the room. "Oh, and Stefan." Damon said suddenly calling him back.

"Yes?" Stefan asked poking his head back around the doorway.

"Fetch Albert for me if you could." He said evenly as he gave him a smile. "It would be wise of me to not come to dinner looking like a wild beast." Stefan chuckled and nodded.

"Surely, he will be in your presence shortly." Stefan said as he left the room shutting the door quietly behind him. I waited for a count of ten Mississippi's before hesitantly poking my head up from under the bed and staring out at Damon who had turned around to search for me. I pushed my elbows into the soft and comforting mattress and pushed myself up from the floor and sat down on the bed once again.

"Why did you not come out?" Damon asked coming to sit down next to me but with enough distance between us that we couldn't touch. "It was only Stefan; I would have imagined being in his presence would have put you at ease." Damon said as his forehead furrowed in confusion. "Why did you stay mute?"

I opened my mouth to say something but I couldn't think of what to say, I don't really know why I hadn't said anything. Damon had a point, it would have been normal if I had reached out to Stefan, but I didn't. I found it odd that I trusted this strange Damon more than a strange Stefan, shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't I trust my future boyfriend more than his brother? Maybe it was the fact I was distracted by the brotherly love? No, that wasn't it. For some reason seeing Stefan and Damon so bonded didn't seem as surprising as I thought it would, maybe that was because even thought they 'hated each other' in the future, they still cared about each other more than they let on.

The whole time I sat contemplating Damon's questions he sat staring at me, waiting for an answer.

"I don't know." I finally concluded. "I guess it's just because I'm afraid to let people know I'm here. The more people that know I am here, the more likely I am to get into some very bad situations." I whispered flicking my gaze to Damon's earnest and caring gaze. "You must understand my feelings."

"I do," he nodded, "I just find the action unnecessary. My brother can keep a secret."

I flinched at his statement and turned my head toward the covered window to avoid Damon's gaze. Sometimes knowing the future was a burden. Was I supposed the tell Damon that his little brother, who he loves so much, would at some point betray his trust and cause him to lose the woman he loved? How would he react to information like that?

I shook my head and felt like screaming out in confusion. In all honesty I was afraid to say anymore, one little statement could cause an irreversible chain reaction that could change everything. I knew how time traveling worked, if I stepped on a butterfly here it could destroy the world in the future, and I had already stepped on my share of butterflies. But maybe not, maybe this was another time stream and I was in the clear?

Damon cleared his throat and I turned to look at him sheepishly.

"I'm sorry I keep spacing out on you, I'm just thinking about…everything." I laughed breathlessly. "And to answer your question, I'm not questioning Stefan's ability to keep a secret, just the implications and problems that could come from it. How do you think your brother would react to meeting an exact clone of Katherine and then finding out that he is supposed to be my boyfriend in 145 years?"

"No worse than I."

"Are you so sure about that? You are both so different in this time than in the future. Stefan here seems very young and…naïve, I don't know what to expect from him." I whispered hugging my mud cover knees to my chest and staring at the wall. I could feel Damon's gaze on me again and I slid my gaze to his. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable earlier." I whispered pulling my grimy hair behind my ear. "I just feel like I know you so well, so boundaries are…harder to set in this time."

"Yes, well, do what you feel comfortable doing. We both are at…unexplainable odds." He said smiling faintly and the action made my heart flutter in my chest.

"Yes, I would say we are." I whispered more to myself than Damon as I bit my lip and thought back to only a few minutes before, I had wanted to kiss him and I don't know why. What made this version of Damon all the more charismatic than the one back home? It was the some person, just at different intervals in his life. And why had I let myself feel so comfortable with someone who I had just technically met? It was obviously still Damon, he hasn't physically changed much in 145 years, but personality wise, these two different parts of him are polar opposites.

"Why are you looking at me in that way? Is anything the matter?" He asked worriedly as he tried to see any signs of injury or cause of discomfort.

"No," I giggled softly, "I'm just thinking…again."

"Of what?" He asked curiously.

"You." In said honestly as I criticized his face looking for any sign of bitterness or over the top arrogance, but all I really saw was interest, concern, and something else I had seen in my Damon's eyes so many times, want. It wasn't sexual, just the look that said he wanted to be closer to me and that he felt the connection between us that I so often ignored.

"Really?" He asked with a sly smile as his gaze filled with interest and a slight bit of amazement.

"Yes." I giggled. "You're interesting to me; you're different in this time than you are in the future." I smiled.

"How so?" He asked curiously as he moved slightly closer to me on the bed.

"Well, for one, you're a lot nicer…and less cocky."

"Am I? I've always been told I think to highly of myself."

"Well, later, when I meet you, your ego is sky high." I giggled. Damon sat silently on the bed for a moment before smiling softly.

"Then why do put up with me if I am so horrid?" He asked. "I sound like a scoundrel." He said teasingly but I could tell that deep down this information was bothering him.

"You are…sometimes." I said pursing my lips in thought. "More or less I think you are so cocky because you are afraid to let people in and actually feel." This instantly got his attention, because his eyes widened and he turned away from me slightly as if he were trying to hide the flash of pain that crossed his face. "But from what I've heard and now seen, I get it." I said sadly.

"You still didn't answer my question." He said as his eyes narrowed slightly at the nearby wall. I sighed sadly and ran my fingers gingerly through my hair.

"You're my friend." I said honestly as Damon continued to stare angrily at the wall. "Hey." I whispered crawling forward and taking his hand in mine. Damon looked startled as he turned to look back at me. "Nobody's perfect, Damon. You have flaws, and I have experienced them. You are impatient, you don't think before you act, arrogant, and very stubborn," I said holding his gaze and trying to express what I was about to say to him. "But when you are with me," I said taking a breath, "I see something so pure, sincere, passionate, and loving that it takes my breath away." I said squeezing his hand. "You show me the part of you that you hide from everybody else, and that is why you are my friend. I don't look at the negatives in a person, Damon, I look at the positives." I breathed as I was held captive in Damon's endless orbs of liquid sky.

"But you shouldn't have to weigh the positives and negatives of my personality to decide if you want to be with me." Damon said sadly. "What I do not understand is that I am not that way now, so what made me so…"

"Closed off?" I finished.

"Yes."

"It stems from an inability to trust. Someone very close to you betrayed your trust a long time ago, so in response, you decided to let go, to not care about anything or anyone." Damon closed his eyes and just shook his head dejectedly. "Damon, I don't want to hurt you, that was never my intention, but you wanted to know what you were like in the future."

"I know, it's just a lot to take in. To know your future and know what people will think of you is…daunting and disheartening." He said grimacing. I flinched and felt my heart shatter, how could Damon go from being this sweet, to so closed off? _Oh yeah, that's right, Katherine metaphorically ripped his heart out. _I thought angrily. "What about you? You have told me all of myself, but little of you." He said trying to change the subject.

"I believe that is a story for another time, because trust me, it is a long one." I sighed looking away. If we got into me it would only lead to Stefan and Damon both loving me, and in the end I would just end up pushing Damon away. I should have already pushed him away, but I don't want to, I've known him for less than a day and I already can't find it in myself to leave.

"How do you know you will be here at 'another time'?" Damon asked quizzically.

"Because I have no idea how to get home." I whispered sadly. "I wasn't sent here on purpose, it was a complete accident."

"Master Salvatore?" A voice called from the hallway as there was a faint knock on the door. I gave Damon one last glance before I slid back off the bed and under it, I had a feeling me and this floor would become very good friends at this rate. Damon stood up and I watched as he quickly walked across the room and opened the door.

"Albert, good." Damon sighed as he ushered the old man into the room. Albert was an old man around the age of sixty with white balding hair and a wrinkled face. He was medium sized; about 5 foot 8, and had a fine nose along with dusty green eyes.

"Your brother informed me you need me, sir." He said politely as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"Yes, I would appreciate cleaning up before dinner with Miss Pierce," Damon said softly as he observed the old mans reaction, "and I would like one of my dressier attires."

"Very well, I will make sure everything is prepared post haste. Is there anything else I can assist you with?" The friendly and loyal old man asked.

"No, that will be all for now. Thank you Albert." Albert bowed gracefully and quickly left the room to take care of Damon's demands. Damon turned on his heel and smiled lightly. "You can come out now, Miss Elena."

"Should I?" I asked teasingly as I popped my head up from the other side of the bed. "Because you room seems to get a lot of traffic."

"Not always, only when Miss Pierce joins us for dinner."

"Ah, of course." I sighed pushing myself up from the floor and sitting softly back down on the bed. How could he be so blind? How could Damon of all people not know that she was using him? The look on Damon's face whenever he mentioned Katherine was all I needed to see to know one thing, love is blind.

"What are you implying?" He asked hesitantly as he shifted his weight from foot to foot.

"That you love her." I said honestly. "And don't try to deny it, because I know you do." I said sadly as I looked away. I couldn't explain what I was feeling and I don't know why it bothered me that Damon loved Katherine. Why wouldn't he? He had probably been in love with her for months now, so why would meeting me change that? It wasn't my right or job to change the course of history just because I knew the future. I guess the phrase, 'knowledge is power', is true.

"From what I have heard you say, should I?" He asked with a frown. I sighed and shook my head.

"Why are you asking?"

"Because I don't want to get hurt, Miss Elena, no one does." He mumbled as he ran his finger gingerly through his hair.

I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath as I rubbed my temples in thought. Damon loving Katherine is a part of who he is and a part of his personality. A part that I think made him so passionate about everything he does. Katherine may have hurt him, but she was also part of his want to change, to get away from her image and become a better person.

"I'm not going to lie to you Damon; you will get hurt by her," I whispered as I saw his face twist with pain and regret, "but she is a very important part of your past." Damon gave me a look of confusion as he cocked his head to the side as if asking me to elaborate. "Your love for Katherine in this time is very true and very passionate. You gave everything to her and would have done anything for her." I said as I watched Damon give me a quizzical look. "What?" I asked.

"It is odd for someone to understand me so well, not even my brother understands me as well as you appear to."

"I look at it as a carefully honed skill. Anyway, that trait, along with many others I am sure, is what gives you the courage and drive to give 110% in everything you do, no matter what the consequences are."

"So you believe I am very stubborn?" He smiled.

"To an extreme." I giggled.

"Master Salvatore, your orders have been fulfilled." Albert's voice said as it floated through the door.

"Thank you." Damon said as he walked over to the door and opened it just enough so he could see Albert but Albert could not see me. "That will be all, Albert." Albert nodded and gave another graceful bow before he turned away from the door and walked down the hall.

Damon closed the door and leaned against it with his back and just stood staring at me for a few moments. I cleared my throat uncomfortably and pulled my knees to my chest waiting for Damon to say whatever it was he had on his mind.

"Thank you Miss Elena, you have been very gracious to answer all of my many questions." Damon finally said as he walked over to another door on the far side of the room, one that I hadn't noticed before. He opened the door, and in doing so he let in wafts of thick and wet steam. _The room next to his must be the bathing chambers_. I thought to myself. "I must take my leave now and get ready for dinner…will you be alright by yourself?" He asked.

"Yes, I promise I will be good and not get into trouble." I smiled from the bed.

"Good, because I wish to not be worrying about your safety all night long, the idea of you getting hurt is, well…not pleasant." He said as his forehead puckered in worry.

"I will be fine." I giggled.

"Good." He smiled, and just as he was about to leave I called him back.

"Damon!" I said quickly and he popped his head around the doorframe. "Is that warm water in there?"

"Yes."

"Would you be okay with me…using some of it? I'm kind of dirty and cold and I want to wash up a bit. And of course it would be after you are gone." I said quickly.

"I see no problem in it." He said after a minute of thought. "Just be quick so the servants don't come in to get rid of the water and find you in it."

"I will, and thank you!" I exclaimed as he nodded and shut the door behind him. I sat on the bed for a while faintly listening to the sound of splashing water coming from the other room. I couldn't help but blush at the idea of Damon naked, and with only a doorway between us, how could I not think about it? I let out a low breath and sat up from the bed. I needed to get my mind off of Damon before I did something completely and absolutely stupid. I looked around Damon's room in thought, everyone would be gone at dinner and it's not like I could actually leave, so the real question was, now what?

* * *

**Haha, and there we go everybody, chapter 11. Elena really seems to like Damon's floor, huh? :) Sorry for the long wait but I hope this chapters long-ness was a fair substitute. On the bright side my schedule is finally starting to clear up more so I will try with all my might to update more frequently, because all of you amazing readers really deserve it. Now, what did you think of the chapter? Please let me know in a review so I can determine if everyone is still enjoying my writing or not. So thanks for reading and please review! **

**P.S. I posted a new one-shot a few days ago called **_**Our Comet**_**, so if any of you have some free time, you may want to check it out and tell me how it was. Thanks! :)**

**-Lioness002**


	12. I Need What?

**Hey everyone, like I said I am trying to update more frequently now, but the consequence of that is that the chapters will be a bit shorter. I finally decided to get back to Vampire Damon (because I am sure you all missed him), so this takes place a bit after where chapter 7 left off. So, I thank you for reading and I hope everyone will enjoy. Thanks! :) -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

_Previously:_

_"Please Bree; I need your help to save the girl I love. She means more to me than anyone or anything. I need to save her, protect her from the harm and danger she's in." She stared at me for a second and I really thought she would refuse. I held my breath as her shoulders slumped and she let out a deep breath._

_"Alright," she sighed, "what do you need me to do?"_

* * *

"So you're telling me all I need is something of Elena's to focus the spell?" I asked Bree in disbelief as I sat up from her lumpy couch and came to stand next to her. "How could Bonnie have forgotten to mention something that simple when she was going to do the spell?" I thought angrily, again cursing the little witch for her impotence.

I had spent the last three days with Bree looking for any spell in her Grimoire that could send me back in time to 1864 so I could bring Elena back home. Surprisingly enough time travel spells were hard to come by, apparently witches didn't like to use them because they could possibly interfere with the time stream. Bree said in all reality it was more of a one and three time's sort of deal, but that it was best to be careful. "Witches," I scoffed, "always so weak when it comes to important situations." I thought distractedly as I pursed my lips.

"That's all you need." Bree sighed leaning back in her chair and letting out a soft sigh. When I said we had spent the last three days searching for a spell, I forgot to mention that they were back to back twenty-four hour days. "Do you have anything of hers?" She asked tiredly as she let out a yawn and rubbed her eyes.

I mumbled a curse under my breath and stared angrily at the grungy pop-corn ceiling before shaking my head. "No."

"Then you better find something, or else you are going to be leap-frogging your way through time forever." Bree said closing the Grimoire as she stood up from the wobbly kitchen table and turned to look at me with her hands firmly on her hips.

I nodded distastefully and crossed my arms in annoyance; I didn't have time for another detour. For all I knew Elena could be about to be burned alive, and I hated the notion that I couldn't save her. This idea enraged me, but it gave me strength. I wouldn't let anything happen to her, I promised Stefan and I promised myself.

"I'll be back in a few hours." I said suddenly as I walked across the stained dark-blue carpet and opened the front door of her apartment. And just before I was about to exit, I stopped and turned to look at Bree over my shoulder. "Oh, and Bree, get some rest before I get back, you look like Hell." I smirked before closing the door and quickly running down the stairs of her apartment building and out into the parking lot.

* * *

I quickly drove down the familiar streets of Mystic Falls and stopped my car in front of the Grill. I had been driving for the last six hours straight and I had gotten here in record time. I sat in front of the Grill for about ten minutes contemplating my plan of action. I couldn't just walk up to Elena and say, _'Hi, I'm Damon Salvatore. I'm a vampire from your future and I need that necklace you're wearing so I can save your life in the past.' _One, that was completely confusing to a small kid, and two, she would probably think I was crazy. So that left stealing something, but that option was complicated. I'm not invited into her house at this point so I can't just stroll in undetected and take something, and I can't push her over either and grab something off of her. So how am I going to get something of hers?

My thoughts were interrupted however by the sound of loud laughter and high pitched squeals. I blinked quickly and rubbed my ears slightly before turning around in my seat to locate the source of my disturbance. I narrowed my eyes through the glare of the sun and I could faintly see five little blobs running towards the Grill.

"I'm faster than you!" A girl giggled sprinting full speed towards the door.

"Matt, don't let her win!" A young boy whined as he stopped running and turned to face the two other oncoming girls. He jumped in front of them and blocked their path as he gave a cocky smirk. The girls sighed and shook their heads still trying to evade him.

"Go Elena!" Two high-pitched voices piped in as they stopped running and started cheering. I froze and got out of the car as I watched a young girl with brown hair zoom by me followed closely by a boy with sandy blonde hair. The girl let out a burst of speed and dove toward the door and the second her fingers touched the weathered wood, she screamed in triumph.

"No!" Matt yelled dramatically as he collapsed onto his knees. There were two high pitched screams as Caroline and Bonnie darted forward and wrapped Elena into a massive girl hug.

"Ha, in your face Matt!" Elena giggled stepping away from the door and taking a deep breath as she whispered to Bonnie and Caroline. Matt had stood up and was now hunched over breathing hard and glaring at Elena.

"I…want…a…rematch!" He huffed and puffed.

"No way, this proves that _girls rule _and _boy's drool_." Elena crowed as she put her hands on her hips and posed proudly. Caroline and Bonnie nodded in approval.

"Dude, how could you let her _beat_ you!" Tyler practically screamed running up to Matt and thumping him on the back.

"She's fast." He sighed wiping his forehead.

"You're such a wimp! Now we are never going to hear the end of this!" He said as his shoulders slumped and his shaggy black hair fell into his eyes. He blew up slightly on his hair to get the irritating pieces out of his brown eyes. I couldn't help but smirk and think about how much he really did look like a dog now.

I flicked my gaze away from the group of kids and quickly excused myself by them and walked into the Grill and sat at a booth by the window, I didn't want to be pegged as the town's next pervert. I conspicuously gazed out the window and kept my ears tuned in on the small group, the first voice I heard was Caroline.

"Oh my gosh, did you just see that guy that went into the Grill! He was so _dreamy_!" She giggled batting her eyes lashes and clasping her hands in front of her heart. I smirked and shook my head; she really had always been a flirt.

"Really? I didn't see him." Bonnie said craning her neck to see if she could locate the 'dreamy guy'.

"Yeah, we should go say hi." Caroline smiled absently.

"But Care, don't you want to rub my victory in Matt and Tyler's faces?" Elena asked innocently. I couldn't help but smile, she acted so much freer at this time in her life, she wasn't weighed down by numerous deaths and life crises, she was just an average six year old girl. Caroline stopped and pouted.

"That would be a lot of fun…" she said as if weighing her options as she stared into the Grill.

"And what are you guys talking about now?" Matt asked walking over and standing shyly by Elena. He flicked his gaze to her and just stared for a few seconds before he quickly looked away when she turned to him and smiled. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, he was such a marshmallow. What Elena ever saw in him is a mystery to me.

"Caroline saw a hot guy." Elena sighed rolling her eyes along with the boys.

"Caroline, you think _every_ guy is a hot guy." Tyler said crossing his arms.

"That's not true; I don't think _you're _hot." Caroline snapped causing Matt to snicker under his breath and Elena and Bonnie to try and hide their smiles.

"Guys, you are _so_ buying us all sodas." Elena said moving the conversation along and brushing her short and layered hair behind her ear as she pouted at Matt with her puppy-dog eyes. Matt gulped and blinked rapidly as he stared into Elena's endless orbs of liquid chocolate.

"No way!" Tyler hissed trying to get Matt's attention.

"Matt, Tyler, unless you want us to tell everyone at school that Elena beat you both at a running competition, you should buy us some sodas." Bonnie said finally starting to make herself more vocal. Caroline nodded and gave Bonnie a high-five.

Matt looked at Tyler and sighed as he pulled out his Transformer's wallet. "What do you want?" He grumbled. The girls giggled in delight and Elena gave Matt a big hug.

"Thanks Mattie, now let's go inside." She insisted latching hands with Bonnie and Caroline and running inside. I saw them run by my table and sit in the booth in front of me with Tyler and Matt in tow.

"Why are we sitting _here_?" Tyler asked annoyed as he spotted two girls over closer to the bar who looked about nine. He smiled and waved and the girls just laughed and shook their heads.

"Because it has a nice view." Caroline said sliding her elbows onto the table and resting her chin on her hands as she gave me a shy smile. I quickly grabbed a menu and hid my face as I practically burst into laugher, quiet laughter that is.

"Of what, the parking lot?" Elena asked nudging Caroline.

"No, that hot guy I was telling you about, he's in the booth in front of us." Caroline whispered into Elena's ear but with my enhanced hearing I could hear it like she was speaking directly to me. At this Elena perked and arched her neck to try and get a better view of who Caroline was talking about. I smirked and put the menu down and called the waitress over so she could take my order.

"What can I get you?" The waitress asked as she chomped loudly on her gum and pulled a pad of paper and a pencil out of her apron.

"Just coffee…" I smirked, "Ann." I said looking at her name tag as I finished in a flirtatious tone and gazed deep into her eyes. She flushed slightly from my intense stare and secret smirk and took the menu clumsily from my hand.

"I'll…uh…be right back with that." She stuttered walking quickly away. When I looked back from the waitress, the rag-tag Mystic Falls team were looking at me intently, especially Elena. Caroline looked lost in la-la land, Bonnie was checking me out, Matt and Tyler were looking at me in respect, and Elena just looked puzzled.

"Good afternoon kids." I said evenly.

"Hi." They all said in unison.

"Can I do something for you, or are all of you going to continue staring at me?" I asked propping my arms lazily behind my head. They all stared at me for another second before Matt and Tyler shrugged and turned around, Caroline was trying to flirt with me with her eyelashes and failing miserably, Bonnie was looking between Caroline and me, and Elena was still just staring.

"Do I know you?" Elena blurted out earning a shocked gaze from everyone including me. I blinked and quickly recovered, she couldn't know me, she hadn't even met me yet. The idea that I seemed familiar to her was intriguing, was it because she knew me later or for some other strange and probably complicated reason?

"Uh, I don't think you do. I'm new to town."

"Huh, well you just seem familiar." She said shrugging as Caroline and Bonnie looked at her like she was their idol. Neither Caroline nor Bonnie had had the guts to say anything to me, but Elena had so they were both in amazed appreciation.

"Well…welcome to town." Matt said awkwardly as the waitress quickly walked over, took drink orders, and left. "We should go play pool." Matt suggested after a few minutes of silence.

"Sounds good to me." Tyler said jumping up from the table and quickly running over to the pool table. "Come on you guys!" Tyler yelled from across the room grabbing a cue that was taller than him. Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt all looked at each other and stood up.

"Do you mind staying Elena?" Bonnie asked worriedly.

"No problem, I'll get you guys when our stuff gets here." Elena smiled as the group dispersed and left Elena alone at the table drawing on a napkin with a pen she had found in her backpack.

This was my best and only option of getting something of hers, but the question was how would I actually do it? I frowned and shook my head. I could always compel her but that thought was almost sickening to me. I never wanted to compel Elena, and doing that to her as a kid was even worse. To my relief I didn't have to struggle with my plan long because as my coffee arrived, Elena stood up and stretched.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I don't know you, but could you watch our table for a sec?" She asked hopefully clasping her hands together in front of her heart as if begging me to say yes.

"Sure." I nodded.

"Thanks!" She said before quickly walking towards the bathroom.

I took a sip of my coffee and looked around the room. Everyone from team Mystic Falls was trying to play pool and the rest of the restaurant was pretty deserted, so no one was around to catch me as I quickly stood up and grabbed Elena's backpack off the booth seat. I sat down back at my booth and unzipped the bag and looked around for something that I could use as a focusing lens for the spell. All I saw at first were papers and a sack lunch before my fingers grazed over cold metal. I silently rejoiced and pulled out a heart shaped locket from her bag. I fingered it for a second before zipping the bag up and putting it back where I had found it.

As I was about to leave Elena came back out of the bathroom.

"Thanks for watching our table." She said sitting down.

"You're welcome, and take this to pay for your sodas. You seem like good kids." I said pulling a twenty dollar bill out of my pocket and handing it to her. Her face lit up in shock as she watched me in awe.

"Wow, thanks Mister." She said hesitantly taking the money. I nodded and put a five on the table to pay for my coffee and grabbed my jacket and put it on.

"Hey, what's your name?" Elena asked stopping me with my hand on the doorknob. I smiled to myself and shook my head.

"Damon." I said turning in her direction.

"Nice to meet you Damon, I'm Elena."

"A pleasure Elena." I smiled as I nodded in her direction and walked outside.

I sighed in relief as I jumped into my car and rested my head against the back of the head-rest. Finally, the key to getting to Elena back was in my hands. It's strange how big things can come in such a small thing as a necklace. I grabbed my keys and quickly started the engine as I pulled out of the parking lot. Time to head back to Georgia.

* * *

**So what did everyone think? And aren't you all so proud of me? I updated sooner! :D An interesting turn of events for Damon in this chapter, kind of cool he got to meet the kid versions of our favorite Mystic Falls gang. :) Next chapter we will be back with Elena and Human Damon in 1864. So please do me a huge favor and leave a review to tell me how I did. Thanks! -Lioness002**


	13. Jealousy Finds a Way In

**Hello again everybody, here is chapter 13. Now, some of you last chapter were confused by the way the kids were speaking/acting, you thought they were acting too old. Well all of that will be explained in this chapter, it is in there for a reason. So now that that is out of the way, I hope everyone enjoys and will please leave me a review. Also, this starts with Vampire Damon and the 1864 portion will be at the end. Thanks! -Lioness002**

* * *

"Bree!" I called opening the door to her apartment and closing it behind me as I walked inside. I waited and heard nothing so I sighed and walked farther into the house. "Bree!" I called again walking into her bedroom and flicking the lights on. I heard a low groan and I saw Bree nestled comfortably between her comforters.

"What?" She mumbled pulling a pillow over her head. I frowned and walked over to the bed and pulled the comforters away from her.

"Get your ass out of bed; we have a spell to do." I snapped walking out of the room as Bree stood up slowly and followed me while rubbing her eyes. She yawned as she stumbled into the kitchen and grabbed the coffee pot.

"It's three in the morning Damon, just give me a minute." She mumbled pulling out a mug and pouring the dark brown substance in the mug before putting it in the microwave. I felt my mouth twitch in irritation as I impatiently stood in the doorway.

"Every second counts, for all I know days could be going by in 1864 as we just stand here!" I yelled throwing my arms in the air in annoyance.

"Cool your jets, that won't happen." Bree said as she tried to sooth me. "The time stream should be going at the same rate for you two, so since it has hardly been two days since your arrival, Elena should have only been in 1864 for about two days."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." She nodded as she pulled her dark hair behind her ears and walked into the other room where the Grimoire was. "When you find her she will still be the same…as long as the spell is done right. If a spell is not done correctly the first time, there would be change small changes to the time stream."

"Like what?" I asked in confusion.

"Well, when a spell is not done correctly and someone travels through time, they are displaced…like time does not know where they belong. So it has an affect on some things in her life, but only slightly. Since Elena and you are 'missing'," she said as she did air quotes, "there will be slight changes."

"Like supposed six and seven year olds acting like pre-teens?" I asked thinking back to my run-in with the Mystic Falls gang.

"Exactly. That means that Elena is still alive, but some of her actions are affecting the time stream and time is trying to compensate by changing the kids maturity levels. But there is no need to worry," she said seeing my wide eyes, "when you two are sent back to your normal time any alterations will be reset."

"So you're saying that even if things changes, time it will automatically make everything normal when we are in our correct time?"

"Precisely."

"Well that's convenient." I mumbled.

"Isn't it?" Bree laughed. "Now, what item of this girls did you get?" She asked holding her hand out for the object. I reached into my pocket and felt the cold chain against my fingertips as I pulled it out and handed it to her. "Perfect." Bree sighed. "Now, stand over there." She said gesturing to the cleared out area in the living room.

I had been gone for less than a day but the room had been transformed in that small amount of time. There was a circle of chalk in the center of the room with candles strewn all around. In every corner of the rectangular room there were multiple types of herbs and planets burning giving the room almost a sickly sweet smell. The small fireplace had been lit and all of the furniture had either been taken out of the room or moved against the wall.

"So, now what?" I asked turning around and looking at Bree.

"Now we do the spell." She said walking fully into the room with the Grimoire. I felt my shoulders relax slightly at the knowledge that I was one step closer to getting to Elena. If the spell actually worked correctly then I would be getting Elena home, hopefully safe and sound. At least this little expedition would win me a few brownie points in her eyes; at least she would be thankful I came to get her. At least she would know I care. "Earth to Damon." Bree said snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"Stand in the middle of the circle." Bree said pointing towards the middle of the room.

"Right." I said clearing my throat.

"Take this." Bree said handing me Elena's necklace. "I got enough of a reading off of it to send you too her time. I can't promise it will be the same place, but it will be the correct year." She said closing my fingers around the cool metal. Her fingers lingered for a second before her brown eyes met mine. "Be careful."

"I will." I said as she stepped back from me and grabbed her Grimoire.

"Alright, here we go." She mumbled closing her eyes and trailing her fingers over the page. She opened her eyes and one by one the candles around the room lit. Everything around grew deathly quiet and all that could be heard was the flickering of the candles and Bree's uneven breathing.

I clutched my fingers tightly around Elena's necklace and thought only of her. Of her smile, her laugh, the way we bickered good-naturedly, about how she cared about everyone, about how I loved her. I closed my eyes and imagined Elena, every feature, every detail, every curve of her body.

As all of this was going on in my own mind Bree began to chant in her own language. Her spell started at such a low register that at first it was difficult for me to distinguish it, but the chanting slowly gained volume and speed. Soon, Bree's words were indistinguishable jargon but with every repetition the candles flames clawed higher toward the ceiling and I began to feel the coldness I had felt the last time I time traveled.

I blinked once and that was all it took for the walls around me to disappear and leave me in darkness. This time instead of free falling I was in what seemed like an endless tunnel. I started walking down the hallway and again I was greeted by a vision.

I could see myself talking to Elena in the forest, and then fighting, and then something I hadn't expected. I could see Elena staring at me with deep confliction in her eyes as I held her face tightly between my hands as rain poured down. _"I won't let her hurt you. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." _I heard myself say as her hand reached up to cover mine.

_"Alright." _She whispered softly.

I felt myself jerk slightly and my view changed to Elena and me standing in the rain looking at the tree outside my window. I watched as I pulled Elena from the ground and we sat staring at each other in the tree. "Why is she looking at the past me like that? She's never looked at me me that way." I thought curiously as I watched her blush and turn away from my questioning gaze.

My vision blurred and again the scene changed. This time instead of being inside my body I was outside of it. I grimaced as I saw my own face, "Father must have taken some liberties on it." I thought angrily and bitterly. My gaze was then caught by Elena who quickly walked over to the bed with a basin and a towel. "Is she going to take care of me?" I thought in absolute amazement as I watched her gently begin to clean my face.

I blinked in surprise and I could almost feel her gentle touch on my cheek and I could almost feel the way her gaze was scorching my skin. I walked forward in this strange vision and could not understand what I was seeing. She had let her guards down and so had I. She was acting so comfortable and gentle with me, like I was actually important to her.

"I don't understand you Elena." I whispered shaking my head and watching her. She then persuaded the 1864 me to take off my shirt so she could see my other bruises and try to fix me. My brow furrowed as I heard her heartbeat accelerate and her face flush slightly at the sight of me.

_"I don't understand what I am feeling. You remind me so of Katherine, but you are so different. I've known you for less than a day and already I am feeling things I shouldn't be." _I heard myself whisper softly as Elena weaved her fingers gently through my hair and her gaze softened.

_"Maybe it's a soul connection." _She whispered softly as she stared deep into my eyes and I thought for just a split second that her face began to dip slightly towards mine. I didn't get the chance to find out if I had kissed her or not because at that second I felt the cold iron grip around my waist that yanked me forward.

I tensed as I felt the sucking and pulling sensation that would lead me out of this time portal. All the while I couldn't get the image of me with Elena out of my mind. The way she looked at me, the way she acted with me had seemed so natural, and she seemed so comfortable, like she wanted to be there with me. I felt a small pang in my heart at the thought that maybe she was falling for the 1864 me. If that was true it was both exhilarating and depressing, but I wasn't stupid, Elena could never fall for me. Even if I was nicer and gentler in 1864, I'm still the same person, and nothing would ever change her feelings for me. It would always be Stefan, she had told me so.

But even as I told myself that Elena would never be mine, I couldn't help the small flicker of hope that was in my heart. The way she had acted toward me had been too different, too loving, so maybe there was hope for us yet.

* * *

I sat quietly on Damon's bed looking around awkwardly, Damon had left about half an hour ago to go to dinner and now I was alone. I sighed and plopped onto his pillows and stared at the ceiling. Everything in here smelt like him and it was an amazing, almost intoxicating smell. I grabbed one of his pillows and brought it to my nose and inhaled. I smiled and chuckled to myself softly. If anyone could bottle Damon's smell and make it a fragrance, no girl would be able to resist the guy wearing it.

I sat up slowly and hopped lightly off the bed. Now was as good a time as any to get cleaned up. I quietly opened the door leading to the bathroom and slipped inside. The room was still foggy and it was already making me feel better. I quickly stripped myself of my clammy and dirty clothes and dipped a foot into the warm water.

I shivered in pleasure at the warmth and quickly submerged the rest of my body. I dipped my head under the water and brought it back up and ran my fingers through my knotted and dirty hair. I looked around and found an iron stand with a bowl of soaps next to the tub and grabbed one of them. I lathered the soap in my hands and ran it along my legs, arms, and face. I smiled and dipped under the water again as I felt the dirt and cold seeping out and off of my skin. My head broke the surface and I let out a deep breath as I lathered the soap in my hands and worked it into my hair. I hummed softly to myself as I continued to clean away the dirt and grime I had accumulated from being in 1864 for almost two days.

I kept up this process and continued to clean myself until I felt squeaky clean. I sat in the water and just soaked and thought before I stood up and shook water off of myself and stepped out of the tub. I dripped water as I walked across the tiled floor and grabbed a clean towel from a pile on the table on the other side of the room. I used one to dry off my body and I grabbed another to wrap my hair in.

I let out a deep breath as I wrapped the towel around my waist and grabbed all of my clothing except for my shoes and threw them into the tub. I looked around the room and my eyes landed on a chair by the covered window. I walked over and was about to grab it before I lightly pulled the curtains away from the window. Outside it was pitch black and the only light I could see was distant, most likely one from a passing carriage that was taking someone home. I pushed the curtains back into place and grabbed the bench and put it next to the tub.

I sighed and grabbed another soap bar as I began to clean my muddy clothes. I could wash these and let them dry overnight. I could just use one of Damon's shirts to sleep in; I didn't think he would mind. I washed all of my clothes and hung them on a nearby towel rack to dry overnight. The only things I did not leave to dry were my underwear and bra. I used the towel from my hair and quickly wrapped them up and squeezed out as much of the water as I could. I knew Damon would be okay with me using one of his shirts, but I was not willing to be completely bare underneath. That would be nothing but stupid and awkward.

When my undergarments were sufficiently dry I pulled on my underwear and put on my bra. When I was at last somewhat presentable I poked my head out of the bathroom and into Damon's room, it was still empty. I let out a sigh of relief and walked into the bedroom and over to his closet. I opened it up and let my gaze travel over his numerous every-day shirts and grabbed one at random. I pulled it over my head and had to keep from laughing at the fact it was almost like a dress on me. I rolled up the sleeves and wrapped my arms around myself. I was clean, I was warm, and I was somewhat happy.

I spent the next hour reading the book on Damon's bedside table which just happened to be _Frankenstein _by Mary Shelley. I had read it before for school but it was still enjoyable. About an hour later I heard footsteps coming down the hall towards Damon's room. I could tell automatically it was him, even when I couldn't see him I knew it was him, he just had a presence about him. It's almost like I am attuned to know when he is near.

I smiled and stood up from the bed as I put the book back on his bedside table. I felt my heart flutter and it surprised me that I was happy to know that Damon was coming back. I waited a second before I took another step towards the door, but I heard something I had not been expecting that stopped me in my tracks, my own voice.

My eyes widened as I jumped away from the door and looked around the room. I couldn't hide in here, especially if Katherine was going to be in here with Damon. I quickly ran to the door that led to the bathroom and dove inside. I closed the door quietly and locked it from the inside as I stood with my head pressed against the door listening. A few seconds later the door opened quietly.

"Damon, one would think you are jealous of your brother." I heard Katherine giggle from the other side of the door as she walked slowly into the room.

"Only because he spends so much time with you." Damon said closing the door behind him.

"But I spend equal amounts of time with the both of you, you know that." Katherine said as I watched what was going on through the keyhole in the door.

"Is it wrong for me to want more time with you?" Damon asked coming to stand in front of Katherine and trailing a delicate hand down her face. She smiled and kissed his palm as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"No, and I think I know how to repay you for your feelings of abandonment." She whispered as he eyes glinted mischievously and she pressed her hand flat against Damon's chest and pushed him towards the bed. He let out a grunt of discomfort as his back roughly hit the mattress where his bruise was. "What's the matter?" Katherine murmured kissing along his neck and unbuttoning his shirt at the same time.

"Nothing." He whispered arching his neck and touching Katherine's lips to his. She pushed herself harder against him but pulled away quickly.

"Kissing you isn't as appealing when your face looks like that." She mumbled callously as she motioned to his bruising face. Before Damon could reply Katherine placed a finger to his lips to silence him. "We'll have to fix that." She whispered staring deeply into his eyes. "I will offer you my blood and you will take it willingly." She whispered.

"Yes." Damon agreed absently. "She is compelling him, how could she do that?" I thought in disgust. "And how could she be so…vain? Does she only care about how Damon looks? He is worth so much more than just some arm candy." I fumed from behind the door. It really did take all of my restraint to keep myself from marching into the room and slapping her silly. She was just toying with him while he gave her _everything_ he had.

"After you drink my blood you will forget you did so and then we will continue in our activities." Katherine continued evenly.

"Yes." Damon whispered again before Katherine broke eye contact and bit into her wrist and held it out to him. He stared at it for a moment before taking her wrist and bringing it to his lips. Katherine smiled as Damon's bruising quickly faded and the swelling went down.

"Much better." She murmured running her hands up his chest and pulling his shirt away. He smiled and quickly began to work on the strings of her corset. She giggled softly as he nibbled lightly on her neck. "You're turning out to be a natural vampire." She mumbled as Damon removed her corset and began to work on the rest of her dress.

I felt my throat thicken and my eyes sting as I watched them until I couldn't stand it anymore. I quickly turned my head away as I slowly slid to the floor and covered my mouth as a soft sob escaped my lips, I didn't want to see anymore. I tried to block out the sounds of Katherine and Damon's love-making but it was nearly impossible. I closed my eyes and wished for me to be somewhere else, anywhere else, but I couldn't leave and I knew that. The only place I was safe was in this washroom where I had to listen to Damon and Katherine's coupling.

Hot tears were streaming down my face and I didn't know if they were of hurt, anger, or something else. I hated her for what she was doing to Damon, for all of the lies she was telling him, for all of the promises that she would soon break. She didn't deserve him and she never would. I bit my lip so hard to keep from yelling that I could faintly taste coppery blood on my tongue. I had never in my life felt something so infuriating, just the idea of her with him set my body on fire. I harshly ran my fingers through my still damp hair and buried my head in my knees.

I didn't know what I could do about it, but I knew I wanted to do _something_; I wanted to stop what was going on in the other room so badly it hurt. I would do anything to save Damon from the pain she would soon bring to him. My head was saying I only felt this way because I was mad at the way she was using him, but my heart was saying something else. Right now I knew only one thing for sure, that for the first time in my life, I was jealous of Katherine.

* * *

**And there we are everyone, chapter 13. Now I know some of you may be annoyed about the Katherine part, but Damon is still not on vervain and he still loves her. To make it realistic I had to have some Damon and Katherine in here, because lets face it, he is not going to drop Katherine right away. But no worries everyone, I will rid him of that feeling shortly. :D I am sorry this update took a bit longer, but I have a valid excuse. One, it's the holidays and my parents are forcing me to stay away from the computer, and two, I have been super busy because of school. I have AP English as one of my classes and my teacher has made sure to give us a giant project and a paper to work on over the weekend…so I am swamped. And it's not on an easy text either, its on **_**A Tale of Two Cities**_** by Charles Dickens, and it was written in the 1800's, so the diction is a lot more complex. But I know you all deserved an update, so this was my Thanksgiving gift to everyone. :D So thank you very much for reading and I hope you will leave me a review telling me how it was. Thanks! **

**-Lioness002**


	14. Call it a Hunch

**Wow, thank you to everyone for the reviews last chapter, it means a lot to me. On that note, if I did not reply to your review I am very sorry, I have been super duper busy. Also, thank you to everyone who wished me good luck on my **_**A Tale of Two Cities**_** project, I am pretty sure I went crazy doing it o-0. That project is why this update is a bit late and also because my orchestra had three concerts last week and I had another English project due this week. So I have been so busy, and I hated that this update took so long. Also, Vampire Damon might be MIA for a while, and I am going to explain why in the authors note. Since he has to travel to a farther back date this time it will take a bit longer to get there. For him it may take a few seconds, but for Elena it may be a day, a week, or a month. So thank you and I hope you all enjoy chapter 14. :)**** -Lioness002**

* * *

I stared straight ahead of me, unblinking and thoughtlessly, at the same cream colored wall I had been staring at all night. I hadn't slept for a second the whole entire night and it was taking its toll on me. My head was pounding from lack of food and sleep, every joint hurt from sitting in the same position for hours, my eyes were sore from crying, and my brain was firing on overdrive so fast that every thought I had would come into my conscious only to be pushed out by the next impatient thought. I had been afraid every second of the night that if I made the smallest of noises or even moved, Katherine would have found me and killed me.

Like it wasn't bad enough I had to listen to Damon be with Katherine once, I had to listen to it _multiple_ times throughout the night. I didn't know if I wanted to shoot myself or feel extremely embarrassed while at the same time hate Katherine's guts. What right did she have to toy with his body and mind? What right did she have to give him fake hope and affection? What right did she have that allowed her to even _know_ him? It's sickening to see how blind she made Damon.

Through the midst of the 'passion' I swear I heard her say Stefan's name. God, the least she could do was think about Damon while she was _with_ Damon. It's sick and twisted the way she uses both of them.

I let out an angry sigh and thumped my head uselessly on my knees. What right do _I _have to judge? Damon's happy, and I guess that's what matters in the end. At about that time I heard the first hint of movement from the other room.

"Where are you going?" Damon's sleep laced voice asked sadly.

"I must get back to my chamber before I am missed." Katherine giggled as I heard the soft swish of fabric. I quietly sat up and peeped through the key hole and saw Damon propped up in bed with his sheets pooled low around his hips. I gulped softly and tore my gaze away from the feast that was Damon as Katherine stood up from the bed almost fully dressed. "I must take my leave now I am afraid. It was fun though, as usual." She smirked naughtily at Damon over her shoulder. Damon let out a playful growl and wrapped his strong arms around her waist.

"Are you sure you must leave?" He pouted into her neck.

"I'm afraid so." She whispered speeding out of his grip. Damon sighed as Katherine gave him a small wink and quickly exited the room.

Damon stayed in bed for a while with one arm draped over his eyes and the other under his head just lying on the bed. The whole while I crouched on the other side of the door contemplating what to do next, should I go in or should I try and jump out the window? I shook my head and smacked it softly on the mahogany door, I was being ridiculous. I was acting like if Damon saw me it would be the end of the world, he was still willing to protect me…right?

I took in a deep breath and calmed my nerves. I had to make my presence known…again, that was the only thing I could do. I slowly turned the round knob and pushed the door softly open. It opened easily and didn't make a peep of noise to my surprise. I looked down at myself and grimaced, my clothes were still damp so I was still in Damon's shirt which for a situation like this would be questionable. I stepped into the room and closed the door by leaning gently against it. The door closed with a soft click but Damon's head went up immediately, even as a human his hearing was impeccable.

"Katherine?" He asked confusedly as he propped himself up on his elbows and rubbed his eyes.

"Wrong Doppelganger." I whispered nervously. Damon paused as if he were trying to recall any of the information from yesterday before his face pulled into a surprised look.

"Miss Elena."

"Ding, ding we have a winner." I said crossing my arms awkwardly over my chest and rubbing the back of my calf with my foot. Damon's gaze drifted over my appearance and he raised an eyebrow at me and swallowed.

"Is that my shirt?" He asked horsely tearing his gaze away from my bare legs and looking at my face. I had to say I was impressed.

I gulped and let out an awkward cough. "I didn't have anything else to sleep in last night because my clothes were wet; I was going to tell you but…." I drifted off and flicked my gaze to the covered window. "You were a little _busy_."

I looked over to Damon and watched him visually stiffen and his eyes widen.

"Oh my." He murmured pulling his hand down his face. "You were…present?"

"I was on the other side of the bathroom door all night, I heard everything." Damon's face flushed in embarrassment and he opened his mouth to make a comment but I silenced him. "And just to let you know, I didn't sleep at all last night so I am in no mood for your usual bull-crap." I snapped crossing my arms tighter over my chest. I wasn't sure if I was mad at him because I could have been exposed, if I was just tired, or if my realization from last night had made me a giant ball of jealous nerves.

"You heard everything." Damon repeated softly and I swear I saw his face flash with something that looked like regret. I didn't understand why because if Katherine had compelled him then he wouldn't have felt bad about anything.

"Yes."

"Did I hurt you?"

"Why would you think that?" I suddenly stuttered. Damon's icy gaze met mine as he quickly got out of bed, with boxers on I might add. I stayed still as he walked close enough to me that out bodies could have been touching if one of us leaned forward.

"Call it a hunch." He whispered tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. I was caught in his earnest and worried gaze and I could only think about how much I wanted to kiss him. Our bodies were humming with sexual tension and I knew I wasn't the only one to feel it because Damon's gaze darkened just the smallest bit. I let out a shallow breath as his eyes met mine and then looked at my lips. His thumb lightly traced the contours of my face, his face very serious and concentrated as he did it. "You are different you know." When I gave him an odd look he elaborated. "Different than Katherine. She is hard and possessive and cruel, but you, you are soft and sweet, more innocent. You have a feeling of warmth that draws me to you like a moth to a flame." Damon chuckled before he quickly walked away from me and leaned against one of his bed posts. "I've known Katherine for months and I've only know you for a day, but I feel I'm already falling for you."

The instant I heard that the air got sucked out of my lungs and I couldn't breathe. He loves me? But he loves Katherine. Who does he love more? Why is he telling me this? Oh gosh he's waiting for me to say something, but what? I stood like a statue for a moment before my feet hesitantly carried me in front Damon.

"What?" I whispered softly as I made a bold move and gently placed my hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes briefly and I was ecstatic that he didn't pull away. Everything was moving so fast and I felt as if my heart had just exploded.

Here I had been spending all of this time fighting Damon, but now that I actually was letting it in I was shocked to find I felt amazing. I felt loved, wanted, and cherished more so than I ever had before. Damon just had that special presence about him that drew me in. I knew that part of his claim of love was because of my Damon, the one I left at home, the one who I had hurt so many times. I made a promise to myself then that if I ever saw him again I would make sure to tell him that I felt something for him. I don't know if I was flattered that Damon fell in love with me so quick or if it was the fact that he may already love me more than Katherine, but I found that I liked the idea of him falling for me, the idea of him wanting to be with me.

Damon interrupted my thoughts by gently nuzzling his face into my hand causing me to giggle. "When I'm with you I forget about Katherine, my ass father, my stresses, worries, everything goes away and all I can feel and understand is that I'm happy. I know that doesn't make sense since we hardly know each other, so it may be another one of those soul connection things, but I know _I_ feel it too." He whispered slowly wrapping his arms around my waist. "Not my other half, _me_, the one in front of you."

"It's good to know that you care about me."

"Very much so." He breathed leaning his head down towards mine slightly. This time I knew I wanted to kiss him, to feel what it would be like, but the universe had other plans. My stomach growled, loudly I might add, and I blushed in embarrassment. "Someone seems hungry." He teased lightening the atmosphere slightly.

"Well considering you first found me stealing your apples I would think so." I whispered sadly as I pulled away slightly from Damon with my head spinning.

"I have been slacking in my job as a host. Where are my manors, I'll get you some food." He said before going to his closet and pulling out some clean sheets and comforters. "But first, would you like to help me make my bed?" He smirked.

I sighed and nodded. We both had evaded another kiss full of sexual tension - stupid universe - but the next time the situation comes up I am 100% sure neither of us is going to do anything to stop it. I know I'm not, because for the first time I'm going to let myself indulge in Damon Salvatore's love.

"Why not?" I smiled shaking away my thoughts and walking over to help him.

* * *

**There we go, chapter 14. I know it was short but I was short on time. On the bright side the next chapter is almost done, I split this chapter in half so you all could have something to read. Thank you for all of the patience, it means a lot considering I have been ripping my hair out for about 3 weeks because of school. But break starts tomorrow so updates will be coming more frequently. So thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoyed. Please review! -Lioness002**


	15. Breakfast

**See everyone, I told you I would be updating more! :)**** I love holiday breaks, they are the best time for writing and reading. Sadly the reading part will come after Christmas, because I can't read my 11 books under the tree until then. Haha, I know, I am very skilled. So I hope everyone will enjoy chapter 15 and leave a review at the end. Thanks! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

I slowly felt myself being pulled out of sleep when I heard soft thuds from the down the hall causing me to drowsily lift my head to look towards the door. I was surprised when it opened and Damon returned carrying a very full tray of food. My nose caught a million different scents at once and my stomach let out a loud roar. I blinked and sat up straighter from the bed but suddenly downcast my eyes, it was still hard to look at him after what I heard last night. Yes he had said he liked me and I had sort of let that happen, but after I thought about it I needed to take this slow. Even if he did like me he still liked Katherine, my enemy, the one person that could end my life in the blink of an eye.

"Miss Elena?" He asked cautiously and slowly. I couldn't help but chuckle softly to myself; he was still completely freaked out from earlier when I had said I heard _everything. _And even after that he was a bit embarrassed at his little speech. I looked up slowly and softly flicked my gaze to his as he sat down on the bed next to me. I swallowed and played idly with his sheets, thankful that Damon had changed them before I sat on them, it was too gross to think of _everything_ that could be on them.

"Yes?" I asked slowly.

"I'm…sorry." He said softly as his forehead puckered slightly.

"For what?" I blurted out in surprise. I don't think I had ever heard a sincere apology from his lips unless it had been coaxed out, and here he was, sitting in front of me doing it willingly without a word from me.

"About last night. I promised that I would keep you safe and then I brought Katherine to my room. I didn't think and I put you in danger, not to mention an awkward situation." He said in a quick rush before he quickly fell silent. I shook my head and smiled.

"It's not _your_ fault; it's _her _fault." I hissed feeling my eyes form slits. The second the words left my lips I was surprised to hear how menacing and…jealous I sounded. I slumped slightly and sighed, this time I had really gotten myself into something I didn't know how to get out of. "You already apologized anyway." I mumbled. Maybe it would just be better for me to leave, find a new home, and try to start a new life with some strange 1864 man. I internally scoffed at my own stupidity, I knew that no matter where I went I would always be drawn here, Mystic Falls is my home and my friends are here, sort of.

"You are still jealous?" Damon smiled slightly at me.

"No." I snapped instantly. "I know I already told you I was okay with everything, but I am probably confusing you. I'm even confusing myself."

"Then why are you here?" He asked lazily as he chomped down on a piece of thick bacon.

"Because even though you are kind of a player and drive me absolutely crazy, you're still my friend…and I have no where else to go." I sighed. I was already starting to feel the effects of everything that had happened and my head was still reeling. In all honesty I still couldn't understand why all of a sudden I just decided to let Damon like me.

"I only ask because I think it would be more beneficial for you to be with your 'love'," he said making air quotes, "then hiding in my room with me. So there has to be another reason why you want to stay with me, so what is it?" I gave him a peculiar look; he was prying and asking questions that _my_ Damon would ask.

"I thought I already answered this question." I said stealing his piece of bacon from his hand causing him to smirk at me and grab another.

"You told me the logical reason, not the _real_ reason."

"I thought we left everything out to dry earlier this morning. You like me and…"

"You like me back?" Damon substituted in hopefully.

"I'm not really sure what I'm feeling Damon. There's something I feel for you but I'm conflicted, you still love Katherine and even if you like me there needs to be time for you to adapt to the idea. For you to really understand what you are feeling for me you need to not jump into things with me right away. You could just be feeling this way because I am strange and new, I just don't want to make rash decisions when I know that one wrong one will be the death of me."

"But…" Damon started to protest.

"Damon, you slept with Katherine less than twenty four hours ago. I'm not doing this with you. If you really want me you are going to have to work for it." I said grabbing a piece of toast and taking a bite. I licked the butter off my lips and sighed in satisfaction, food had never tasted this good.

"Then I will."

I nodded and Damon handed me a glass of milk. I smiled and took a small sip before grabbing another piece of bacon and taking a bite. We continued to eat in silence for a few more minutes and I was slowly starting to feel energy flow through my veins, the food was finally alleviating my hunger.

I reached out for one of the freshly grown orange slices and took a deep bite of the orange; I let out a startled squeak as delectable juice flowed into my mouth and a bit went down my chin and throat. Damon's eyes tracked the movement of the sticky juice and I swear his eyes darkened a few shades.

"Good orange." I laughed nervously trying to lighten the mood. I knew that look, and while it made me feel hot, it still made me feel uneasy. I was still very conflicted with my feelings, but even if I wanted to jump head first into it with Damon I would be disgracing myself, I was still hurting inside about Katherine so forgiving Damon so easily would not be paying myself respect.

"Hmm," he breathed nodding absently as his finger trapped the small drip of juice just before it escaped below the collar of my makeshift nightshirt which for the record had a few more buttons undone than it should have. I gulped and could feel my pulse pick up as he brought his finger to his lips and sucked the little bead of juice off. "I agree." He murmured softly. I swear I had never seen or felt so erotic before in my life and it was so innocent…but not at the same time.

"Damon, you can't do things like that!" I hissed angrily pulling his shirt more snuggly around myself. "That's too familiar!"

"I was just trying to help you with that problem." He said innocently but I could see the mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Well I could have handled it myself."

"But where's the fun in that?" He pouted cutely. I silently cursed his good looks and the way he looked so sincere and innocent when I knew for sure that he wasn't. It was going to be hard resisting this Damon and I didn't know why. My Damon was hard enough to resist, but I think just his personality coupled with the fact that he was so sweet to me was what was making this so much harder. "Here." He said holding a strawberry above my head.

"Are you going to feed me?" I quipped well naturedly.

"Maybe." He smirked. I rolled my eyes and reached for the strawberry but he pulled away. "You must let me be a good host."

"Fine." I huffed and he held the strawberry out again. I arched my neck up and took a bite out the delectable fruit licking my lips in the process. Suddenly the fruit disappeared and Damon had moved closer to me on the bed. I stayed frozen to my spot as Damon traced a single finger down my cheek and under my chin. I gulped as he pulled my head up slightly and left the softest of kisses on my cheek. I took in a ragged breath trying to clear my head and trying to process what was happening. In that short amount of time Damon had criticized my face looking for any sign of rejection, when he saw none he slowly trailed his soft lips from my cheek to my chin to my neck.

"Damon…" I whispered closing my eyes slightly as he left butterfly soft kisses along my neck. I had meant it to sound like a warning but it came out a needy gasp. "I can't." I whispered fearfully. My head was screaming at me to stop, to pull away, to scold him, slap him, anything to stop him from kissing me but my heart and body were telling me to jut let go and feel.

"Why not?" He murmured softly as he kissed the juncture of my ear and neck. My body was tingling and warm, every feather soft kiss was like shooting liquid magma into my veins, I felt like I was about to spontaneously combust.

"Because if I let you do this I'm afraid I won't be able to fight back my feelings." I quietly moaned trying my best to fight my urges. "And what I told you earlier…"

Damon paused suddenly and pulled back as he gently caressed my cheek. "Would you agree that you are from the future?" He said as his eyes searched mine.

"Yes? But what does that have to do with it?" I said softly as he nuzzled into my neck.

"Then all the confliction you are feeling is from that time, not this time. If I understand all of the information you have told me correctly, you should not be with me in this way, correct?"

"Right." I said unsurely as he pulled back again.

"But you still are anyway. Miss Elena, you are free from all of your promises and tie downs, you are free to do as you wish." He urged staring straight into my eyes as if he were trying to hypnotize me. "Didn't you ever wonder what it would have been like to be with me?" He breathed. "Because, from what I am feeling and now know, me in your future has wondered what it would be like to be with you."

"Wait." I said sitting up and out of his grasp. "You've seen you?"

"I believe so." Damon said as his forehead creased in confusion. "Last night while I was asleep I had flashes of what seemed like dreams or memories, all of which concerned you. I don't understand what we are doing or what is going on, but I know this, everything I felt was so…intense."

"Yeah, that's kind of how we are, intense."

"I've noticed." He murmured softly caressing my cheek. "This is your chance to see if you and I in the future can work." He whispered.

"Why are you trying to persuade me?" I asked gently as I brushed his bangs from his face.

"Because whatever happens with my family, with Katherine, with Stefan, with the town and me, I still know that if I had the option I would want to have the chance to be with you."

"Even now after I told you I need time?" I gulped feeling my eyes widen.

"…even now." He whispered before giving me a sad look. "I shouldn't have said those things to you earlier. I know it makes me seem…unfaithful, but I was unsettled and not thinking clearly."

"I don't understand." I said pursing my lips.

Damon sighed softly. "Last night, there was vervain in the food. I know because Katherine did not eat anything and claimed she was not feeling well. _I _however did eat a small bite, not noticed by anyone. Last night was a bit of an eye opener for me, when Katherine saw I had been injured she did not care; she just wanted to heal me because I didn't look good, not because she was worried about me. I felt so betrayed and disgusted with myself, she has been playing me this whole time. She doesn't even care about me! And then when she tried to compel me I had to comply or else she would have grown suspicious."

"You had a choice to make Damon, that is what the vervain does, it gives you freedom." I snapped angrily.

Damon closed his eyes and looked away sadly. "I needed to know if what you were telling me was true. I needed to know if she didn't love me. Well that sure was answered, she said Stefan's name last night. I couldn't believe it, I felt sick, but she was persistent." Damon said balling up his fists next to him. "She just wanted a good time. I know I didn't do the right thing, especially for you, but I would never have been sure of my decisions if I did not know all the facts. I just hope you can understand that and forgive me for my selfishness."

I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces at the sight before me, Damon looked absolutely crushed and it made me want to wrap my arms around him and never let go. "I know how you feel; I have felt that way many times myself. I just need to know that I can trust you, no matter what." I finally whispered gently resting a hand on his shoulder; it was the safest thing I could say. "And when I heard her say Stefan's name I wanted to smack her silly."

Damon smiled and looked back at me. "I will make you see that you can trust me. This is why I want to have the option of being with you; you are the kindest and most understanding person I have ever met in my life." Damon reached forward and grabbed my hand and pulled it gently to his lips. I blushed slightly at the action, the more I was around him the more my barriers were slowly crumbling. "I won't push you anymore; it was ungentlemanly of me to take liberties like that. I promise you that I will take no more advances at you until we both understand what we are feeling. That is the only fair thing for you."

"Thank you, I would appreciate that." I murmured softly as I brushed my hair behind my ear. He was trying so hard to make me feel safe and comfortable, and I knew he didn't like waiting. Damon nodded in response and smiled softly. "Now that that's settled I have a question, how am I going to survive here?" I said biting my bottom lip.

Damon gave me a small smirk and rolled onto the pillows next to me with his arms propped behind his head. "I think I have an idea."

* * *

**And there is chapter 15! Still a lot of drama going on in this story, huh? Is everyone kind of happy that Elena stood up for herself? A lot of you thought it was kind of odd for her to be so nice to him after everything she had witnessed so I made sure to point out she is 100% okay with everything. This chapter was more the aftermath of the last one; we got to see how Elena really felt and what she really thought. I hope you all were okay with that. :) Now thank you for reading and please leave a review. Thanks!**

**-Lioness002**


	16. Meeting Emily Bennett

**Man, I am just kicking out chapter after chapter! I am sure all of you are okay with that though. Thank you to everyone for the reviews, favorites, alerts, and everything else, it really means a lot to me. You all will get to read about some of Damon's plan, but not all of it, in this chapter. :)**** So here is chapter 16, and I hope everyone enjoys. :) -I Own Nothing ****-Lioness002**

* * *

"Your idea is insane," I deadpanned, "you are going to get me killed."

"No I am not, it will work!" Damon protested smacking his hand onto his bed. The bed absorbed most of the impact but I could feel the small amount of vibrations shake through the mattress and up my body. I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest as I raised a skeptical eyebrow at him.

"Ha!" I laughed jumping up from the bed and pacing back and forth across the cold hardwood floor. "The whole plan is going to be determined by how your _father_ reacts. Your unpredictable, blockheaded, set in his ways _father_. He hates everything that can't be explained; if he saw me - the exact copy of Katherine - he would tie me to a stake and burn me alive!"

"Not if you could be explained." Damon said standing up with a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. I couldn't help but notice how hot he looked when he did that. I placed my hand on my forehead trying to relieve myself from my headache before I turned to look at him quizzically.

"What are you talking about?" I sighed.

"I'm saying that if you had a back story, a reason for being in Mystic Falls, my father could not get you in trouble. He would be suspicious but not take any drastic measures. Anyway, you would look different that Miss Pierce."

"How?" I asked slowly. I was uneasy with where this was going, I trusted Damon but being found by the town would probably be the worst thing possible. If the plan failed I would end up dead. Given the plan was impressive, but it would take the stars aligning for it to work without any flaws.

"Simple, we cut your hair." Damon shrugged.

"WHAT!" I screeched. Damon cringed and held a finger to his lips trying to silence me. "Cut my _hair_, are you insane?" I hissed through my teeth. Damon took a tentative step towards me and slowly moved me back so I was sitting on the bed.

"No," Damon smirked, "just smart."

"But I love my hair." I said reaching up to run my fingers through my silky locks.

"Trust me, I don't want to see it go either, but it has to be done." Damon said sitting down on the bed next to me.

"Damon, I love that you are so ardently trying to help me, but cutting my hair is not going to fool anyone."

"That is why changing you hair will only be part of the metamorphosis."

"What are you trying to say?" I said turning towards him enough so that our knees and shoulders were brushing. Damon's eye flicked to our rubbing knees but he made no comment about it.

"I told you all about the main plan, but the set-up plan - the plan that will make the real plan work - will have to involve some magic." I stared dumbly at him for a minute before his words slowly sunk in. _Magic? _

"Are you suggesting we involve Emily Bennet?" I asked as the words slowly rolled off my tongue, the idea was interesting but very risky. I had sort of met Emily when she had possessed Bonnie such a long time ago, but I had gotten the feeling she wasn't a warm and fuzzy kind of girl. She seemed like one of those people that could glare at you and make you want to crawl under a rock and never come out again.

"Yes." Damon said confidently. I let my gaze travel across his face and finally land on his eyes. His eyes were sparkling with hope but there was a hint of stress and doubt.

"What are you not telling me?" I inquired softly. Damon smiled weakly and ran his fingers through his messy midnight hair as he sighed.

"You picked up on that, huh? Your ability to read my emotions is very unnerving." Damon smirked. "It's almost like you are reading my mind."

"Damon, stop stalling." I sighed. "I have not slept in the last twenty four hours and I am running mostly on fumes. I want you to be honest with me." I pleaded softly taking his hand in mine. Damon tensed before he slowly started rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. The feeling of his warm hand in mine was a bit of comfort and his eyes were warm with sympathy. "I'm scared Damon, so I need to you to tell me the truth no matter what the consequences are. So I ask you again, what are you not telling me?"

Damon squeezed my hand gently and nodded. "Alright," he whispered, "we need to talk with Emily and get her to change the color of your hair and eyes to make the plan work. Her magic can change appearances or how another person would see you, so that will help you. What I was afraid to tell you is that Emily is Katherine's handmaiden, so most likely Katherine will learn of your existence soon." Damon said as he cringed away from me slightly waiting for some sort of reaction.

"Then I'm screwed." I sighed falling backwards and bouncing slightly on the mattress.

"Not necessarily. I know Katherine, she gets what she wants and what she want's is safety. You can give that to her."

"How?" I asked slowly. Man did I feel slow, everything he was saying to me seemed to go through one ear and out the other; he must think I am stupid by this point.

"You know everything about her future so that means you have power over her. You can trade information for safety, because Katherine would never pass up on the chance to get ahead in life."

I slowly shook my head and couldn't help but flash a small smile in Damon's direction. "It just might work. I know how to get to her and she wouldn't hurt me because she knows Klaus needs me. I'm immune to her." I giggled excitedly.

"Klaus?" Damon asked curiously.

"A story for another day." I said waving off his question. "Damon, do you realize that you single handedly made it so I can live here? So I can be safe and have food and shelter? I can walk around outside, I can be seen with you. I can have real clothes! You have no idea how much I owe you." I said in a rush as I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck in a spine crushing hug. "Thank you." I whispered in his ear as I rested my cheek softly on his shoulder.

"You're welcome." He said as he timidly wrapped his arms around me and soothingly rubbed my back. "And now that we have the plan ironed out you can rest. You need sleep and we won't be able to see Emily until tonight anyway. Rest easy knowing that you are in no danger." Damon whispered pulling away from me and flipping half of the covers over. I smiled and nodded.

"Sleep sounds amazing right now. I can hardly remember the last time I slept." I giggled as I crawled over to where Damon had pulled the comforters back and I crawled under the thick and warm blankets. Damon pulled the comforters more comfortably around me and smiled slightly.

"Sleep now Miss Elena; I will wake you when we must see Emily." He said backing away and blowing out a few candles and closing the blinds to the room. The room grew darker to the point where the only light that was seen was from the small beams of light that seeped through the holes in the drapes.

I took in a deep breath to relax myself and closed my eyes. In all of my time in 1864 I had never felt safe, but now thanks to Damon we had a plan. I could be safe and living among everyone else. I fell asleep for the first time knowing that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

By the time Damon woke me up it was night time and completely dark outside and inside. I quickly got out of bed and rushed to the bathroom where I cleaned myself up as best I could. I then put on my stiff jeans and shirt that were now dry and quickly followed Damon through the Salvatore Estate. Everyone was asleep except for Emily, Damon told me that he had been to see her earlier and told me she agreed to meet us later in the day.

My body was shaking but if it was from anticipation or fear I could not be sure. I followed closely behind Damon as we navigated through the many hallways of the estate. I was holding my breath, because now that I was out in the open of the house I was more likely to be caught.

"Relax." Damon whispered without turning around to look at me. I gave the back of Damon's head an odd look but I shook the comment off. I rolled my shoulders and took a deep breath, Damon was right, I needed to relax.

Finally after what seemed like an hour we turned a corner and I saw the faintest bit of light streaming out from under a white door. Damon slowed his pace and stopped in front of the door. He waited for me to come and stand next to him before reaching his hand up and knocking softly on the door two times.

There was a moment of silence before a soft voice whispered, "Come in." I turned to look at Damon who gave me a reassuring smile before opening the door and slipping in, I followed quickly after him. Once we were both in the room I took the time to look around, everything was either white or brown. There was a weathered table by an open window that showed a picturesque view of the stars glittering outside. Leaning against the table that was strewn with yarn, needles, thread, and various fabrics, was a young woman no older than twenty five. Her eyes were down but the second we both entered the room her small brown eyes came up to stare at us. _Emily._

Emily stood up straighter and looked at Damon for a brief second before letting her eyes land on me. Her almost black eyes glinted with interest as she took in my face, my body, and my clothes.

"Is this the girl you said needed my help?" Emily asked formally as she smoothed her long skirts and took a step forward.

"This would be her." Damon said softly as he watched Emily walk towards me. I stayed still and let her examine me; I would not show her or Damon that I was extremely intimidated by a witch that was no taller than me. I breathed evenly, in and out, in and out, as Emily took my face in her hand and turned it towards the light. Her mouth pulled into a frown and she pulled away from me.

"My, my, what an interesting creature we have here." Emily said clasping her hands behind her back and slowly circling me. "If I didn't know any better I would say she's Miss Pierce." Emily said as her cold eyes traveled all over my body looking for any physical difference between me and Katherine. The way she was looking at me sent chills down my spine, she looked so calculating, uncaring, and just plain scary.

"Emily, can you please just tell us if you can do what I asked?" Damon sighed watching my reaction. My gaze flicked to his and I felt my muscles relax slightly; just knowing Damon was here with me was some comfort. Emily stopped mid-step and turned to look coldly at Damon.

"You do not have the right to push me Mr. Salvatore. You have come here for _my_ assistance; I have the power to say no. And, if it were up to me, you and this whole town would have burned down in flames by now, but it has not. So when I say silence, you will be quiet, if I tell you to do something you will do it, you will not ask any questions and you will not give me any your famous lip." Emily seethed walking towards Damon with every word. "It is no secret that I do not like you, but I am willing to help because this here creature," Emily said turning to point towards me, "has information that I and my mistress can use. Do not mistake this for an act of goodness or trust because I will protect my own before anyone else. Remember that."

"Can you do it?" Damon said through clenched teeth. Emily took a step away from Damon and turned to look me up and down again.

"Yes, I can change some physical traits, but only for a short amount of time. She will have to come back to me every now and again for a…touch up." Emily sighed lazily. "What do you want me to change?" She said addressing me for the first time. I swallowed lightly and faced her confidently.

"Just my hair and eyes if you could." I said evenly. I didn't want to look in the mirror and see a completely difference person, if it were just my hair and eyes I could still be me. I didn't want to look like whole new person, just different enough that I was not Katherine's clone.

"Very well, it's easily doable…with the right herbs. It will take me some time to get everything I need, come back in two days." Emily said to Damon. Damon nodded at her and sighed.

"Is that all you need? You will help us?"

"Yes." Emily said shortly. "But I have no interest in how she came to be with you or the personal reason for your choice to help her, so please leave my sight and leave me to myself." Emily said.

Damon nodded quickly and opened the door behind us. "Thank you Miss Bennett." Damon said as I quickly began to walk towards the door. "But if you cold do one more thing for Miss Elena." I stopped and turned to look at Damon questioningly. What was he doing?

"And what would it be you ask me to do for her?"

"Miss Elena needs clothing if she is to blend in here, all I ask is that you send for some clothing to be made as if it were for Miss Pierce. Then just set it aside for Miss Elena until she asks for it."

"It will be done." Emily said calmly. "Now please leave me." She said turning away from us and walking over to a small bookshelf in the corner of the room.

Damon touched my elbow slightly to get my attention. I started but turned to look at him.

"We must go." He whispered. I nodded quickly and we both began our trek back through the house.

* * *

Emily Bennet walked briskly across the field of the Salvatore Estate towards the Carriage House. Her posture was tense, her mouth was set in a firm and angry line, and her feet were carrying her almost as swiftly as someone who was running.

When she came upon the porch the weathered wood creaked slightly under the new weight. She quickly threw the door open and placed her basket on the table next to the door. Her eyes snapped up to the door leading to the higher levels of the house; her mistress would be waiting for her to return.

Emily sighed and untied her bonnet from around her head and walked toward the door. Her petite but strong hand wrapped around the brass doorknob and twisted it so the door pulled silently open. She collected her thoughts and clasped her hands as she slowly walked up the flight of stairs.

"Miss Pierce." Emily said quietly but confidently as she entered Katherine's chambers.

"Yes Emily, whatever could it be?" Katherine asked pulling her head away from a dazed looking Stefan. Katherine licked her lips and let her demonic features melt away as she stood up from her bed and walked towards Emily.

"Miss Katherine, there has been an interesting turn of events involving your _other_ Mr. Salvatore."

"Oh?" Katherine said as she walked over to her dresser and sat in front of the mirror. Emily took her place behind Katherine and grabbed the brush from the dresser and slowly began to pull it through Katherine's silky curls.

"Yes, he seems to have run across another…you." Emily said smirking faintly. Katherine's eyes sparked with interest as she stared at Emily through the mirror.

"Is that so?" She said pursing her lips. "Well I'll just have to do something about that." Katherine said moving to look at Stefan through the mirror. He was now passed out on her pillows snoring softly.

"Oh, you may not want to kill her."

"Why not?" Katherine asked startled. Emily smiled and bent down to Katherine's ear.

"Because she knows your future."

* * *

**Wow, lots going on this chapter, huh? Now if some of you are confused about what is going on I will explain. Damon's plan will be explained in detail in the next chapter, Damon and Elena are just taking the necessary first steps to make the plan work. Overall Damon is trying to integrate Elena into society without getting her killed and everyone is going to play some role. So Emily is going to change Elena's eye and hair color so when people see her they will not automatically think she is Katherine. So I hope that clears up some of the confusion. Ha-ha, this chapter turned out so much longer than I thought it would. So thanks for reading and please leave a review. Thanks! :) -Lioness002**


	17. Surrounded By You

**Wow, I am so sorry it has been so long everyone! :(**** I tried to do the one chapter a week or every other week like I promised, but then my computer crashed and I lost a lot of my writing so I had to re-start this chapter. And by that time it was near the end of my Christmas break so then I got thrown back into school and sports. I am really sorry. :( Then I had to cram for finals at my school. But on a more positive note, I am so thankful for all of you amazing readers out there, every review, alert, and favorite just makes my day. So I hope everyone had an amazing holiday, and I hope you will enjoy chapter 17. :) -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

And so, like Emily said, Damon and I waited. Two whole days passed with little disturbance, and Damon and I spent our time together like we had the day before. Staying locked in his room, finding out more about each other and clarifying the plan. It wasn't the most comfortable of situations, but it worked, for now. The only problem was that when we went back to see Emily she confessed that she did not have the herbs yet, so she said she would come to us when she was ready to help me. So we waited some more until a week passed, at that point Emily came to Damon one early morning to let him know everything was prepared. Now, on the day that the spell would be preformed, all we had left to do was wait until sunset.

"What is your most embarrassing memory?" Damon asked reclining against his pillows as he slowly watched me bustle around the room trying to find something to keep myself busy. I'm not going to lie, I was going a bit stir crazy.

"Umm…pass." I sighed turning to look at him with my hand on my hip. I wasn't rejecting the question because I was embarrassed, more or less I just couldn't think of anything.

"Fine." Damon sighed rubbing his chin and staring at the ceiling as he thought of another question. "Who was your first kiss?" He asked innocently. "If that is too personal I can think of something else."

"No, that's alright." I said coming to sit down on the bed. I couldn't believe how comfortable I had begun to feel around Damon in such a short time. I had been in 1864 maybe two weeks and I felt like I could tell Damon anything. He was like the best friend you could ask for, interesting, attentive, caring, and funny. And as more time went by, I found that when Damon made a promise he kept it. In the last week we had been alone together, Damon had made no move to take advantage of me in any way or pressure me into something I wasn't ready for. The secure feeling he gave me was something that I really appreciated, he was willing to wait and make me feel comfortable. So, with him acting so amazing towards me, I opened up even more to him. "My first kiss was with a boy I grew up with, his name is Matt." I smiled and drew my knees to my chest. "In the future you don't like him very much."

"Is that so?" Damon asked with a raised brow. "How intriguing."

"It still doesn't make sense to me." I said shrugging. "But then again, you are kind of weird." I said with a small smirk. Damon's eyes flicked to mine and his mouth turned into a smirk.

"Oh, I'm weird am I?" Damon said leaning toward me.

"Oh yes, very weird." I teased sticking my tongue out at him and crossing my arms.

"Take it back!" He laughed as he pounced in my direction. I let out a shocked squeak and toppled backwards onto the mattress. Damon landed on top of me a split second later and smirked down at me. "Take it back." He purred.

"No." I said stubbornly. I knew I was acting like a child, but I was actually having fun bantering with Damon…as usual. I was just curious to see what bantering with this Damon would be like, so I was just…giving him a little push. Would it be as witty? Or would it would it be more like good natured ribbing? Would it be snide or kind? Short and simple or long winded? There were too many options to think about when Damon was hovering right over me, he was soooo distracting.

"Fine." He chuckled. The next thing I knew Damon's hands went to my stomach and began to tickle me. I never in a million years would have thought this would happen. My Damon had always been so…shy when it came to being playful or cute with me…but then again, if he even tried to act that way I probably would have smacked him for being so forward. Man, things really had changed in a week and a half. I bit my lip to try to fight the giggles building in the back of my throat, but the urge to laugh was too great. I snorted and a flood of laughter erupted out of me.

"Nooo…!" _Giggle, giggle. _"Stop!" _Laugh, giggle. _"That tickles!" _More giggling. _My arms were waving furiously and I was gasping for air in a matter of minutes. I hadn't laughed this hard in what felt like years. And the idea that Damon was being so gentle, sweet, and playful was mind blowing still.

"Do you give up yet?" Damon laughed into my ear. I gave him a defiant look and shook my head.

"Never!" I crowed pushing up on him and catching him off guard. _Haha, victory!_ I thought as I dove for him and gave him a taste of his own medicine. Of course, because neither of use wanted to lose, we both ended up in a giant tangled mass rolling back and forth across his bed trying to win the upper hand. Finally, after what felt like forever Damon rolled me over one last time and pinned me down. I was giggling uncontrollably and Damon was having issue not smiling and laughing.

"Do you-" stops to laugh and cough, "give up?" Damon asked with his eyes sparkling with laughter. I smiled and reached my hand up to ruffle his already mussed hair, it made him look even sexier in my book.

"Maybe." I giggled trying to sit up. Damon smiled and pushed my shoulders a bit more into the mattress and leaned down closer to my face.

"Please take it back." He murmured softly into my ear. I knew then that he was being serious, I don't know if he felt bad because he felt different than me, or if it was something else, but I knew I needed to set the record straight.

I could feel his warm breath on my skin and the sensation sent chills up and down my spine, I could feel his lips grazing the shell of my ear as he whispered to me, and I could easily feel both of his hands that were resting comfortably on my hips. I sucked in a deep breath, suddenly becoming acutely aware of how close we were and what position we were in. How could something so innocent make me feel like I was about to burst into flames? I felt my eyes widen and cheeks flush with blood as I stared up into Damon's crystal-like eyes. I was entranced, and the more I stared into his warm and welcoming eyes, the more I wanted to kiss him. How sad am I? A week ago I said to take it slow and already both of us were crossing boundaries. Then again, we _did_ last a week, and that deserves a reward, right? I tentatively placed my right hand on his chest and let my left hand reach up and stroke his cheek.

"I don't think you're weird…" I murmured biting my bottom lip lightly, "I think you are incredibly kind, sweet, passionate, and so many other wonderful things. Now…and later." My left hand moved farther up so all of my fingers were tangled softly in his midnight hair, except for my thumb that was still caressing his cheek. I couldn't believe I was voicing my most private thoughts about Damon _to_ Damon, but seeing this other part of him just made me understand my Damon so much more. I know this sweet and sensitive part is there, I've seen it in those moments when he's caught looking at me, or he voices his concern for my well being. He's always been there for me, and he's always cared, he just tried to act like he didn't, because…he knew I would reject him. I guess I don't really blame him, I can see he just wants to be accepted for him. I understand the feeling. "I can't begin to describe how lost I would be without you, how scared I would be."

Damon gulped and nodded. "You're welcome." His eyes tracked all over my face and I knew he was searching for some sort of clue as to what I wanted him to do. I didn't even know what I really wanted, so when the next words slipped out of my mouth we were both shocked.

"Damon…" I whispered, "I want you to kiss me." Silence. I cleared my throat and suddenly feeling very foolish, I averted my gaze. Why would he want to kiss me after I shut him down a week ago? I pulled my hands away from him and bit my lip, I just screwed up royally. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Shhh." Damon murmured tilting my head up so I had to look into his eyes. My heart was beating a million miles a minute waiting for him to say something, but Damon just smiled softly and gently stroked my cheek. "Is that what you want? Are you sure you understand your feelings?"

"Do you?" I whispered pathetically.

A laugh rumbled through Damon's chest and it sent small vibrations from his body to mine. "Yes, I wouldn't be here with you unless I felt something for you. I have been with only you for the last week and a half and it does not bother me in the slightest. I am so…happy with you. I feel happier with you than I ever felt with Katherine or anyone. So, yes, I understand my feelings are more than just curiosity or friendship. I know that with a certainty. But what of you Miss Elena?" Damon paused. "How do you feel?"

"I feel…I feel like…I'm falling in love with you." And there it was, the truth was out, time for judgment day.

"I feel the same." Damon whispered as he quickly closed the distance between out lips. I froze for a split second before I let go and let myself feel. I felt a safe, comfortable, and sweet warmth pass through my body as Damon's lips moved softly against mine, testing and caressing my lips like he didn't want to frighten me. The lips that I had thought about kissing for so long were warm and soft, even more kissable than I had envisioned possible. I wrapped my arms securely around Damon's neck and deepened the kiss. Damon moaned in approval as he snaked one arm around my waist let the other hand tangle itself in my hair.

Suddenly, that shy and testing type of kissing flew out the window and all we were left with was our passions. Damon ripped his lips away from mine so we could both breathe and focused his attention on my neck. I moaned and clutched his shoulders trying to pull him closer. One thing was for sure, I had never felt this way kissing Stefan.

The way I felt now was indescribable. Every time Damon's lips touched mine I couldn't think, every time his tongue twirled and stroked mine I was in heaven, every time he touched and caressed my body I felt like I was ablaze, and every time he whispered sweet and sexy promises into my ear my heart would beat out of my chest in anticipation and love. Everything I felt about Damon was amplified a million times more than what I felt for Stefan. The only thing I could really think about though, was that if it felt this unearthly kissing 1864 Damon, it must be godly and indescribable kissing my present day Damon.

I sighed and stopped thinking, it was too difficult at the moment and I really didn't want to focus on anything but Damon and me. I ran my fingers through his silky midnight hair and yanked his mouth back to mine. Unearthing this sensation, this wonderful feeling I got whenever our lips touched, was addicting. It was like oxygen, I needed it to live, and I needed it to feel whole. I had never understood what true bliss felt like until this moment.

Suddenly, the door burst open, stopped just short of the wall, and revealed Emily as she quickly strode in. Damon and I ripped away from each other causing him to almost topple off the bed as we both looked toward the door. I flushed a scarlet red and covered my face with my hands in embarrassment. My heart was racing and I was silently gasping for oxygen while Damon was doing the same. Emily assessed our current position quietly but made no comment about the matter.

"You did not arrive when scheduled. You are over an hour late." She said before bustling out of the room and down the hall. I let out a breath and turned to look at Damon who looked like he was about to murder her for interrupting us.

"I guess we got a little carried away." I laughed nervously. Damon snapped out of his bad mood and turned to look at me with a small smirk.

"Yes, I suppose we did." He said hopping off the bed holding his arm out for me. "Miss Elena."

"Mr. Salvatore." I giggled as I slipped out of bed and took his arm.

"Time to face an angry witch." Damon sighed before leading me out of the room.

* * *

Damon and I met Emily in our agreed room away from most of the house. I think the room we chose was the farthest in the house from any servant's quarters and bedrooms, but I couldn't be sure. Now I was sitting on a plush stool in front of a mirror with Emily standing behind me with scissors in hand. Damon on the other hand was leaning sexily against the wall watching Emily's every move to make sure she wasn't going to try to pull a fast one on us.

Now, looking in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile softly and snicker at my appearance. My lips were fuller than usual thanks to mashing lips with Damon over and over again, not that I was complaining. Looking at my hair, it looked straight and perfect now, but just twenty minutes before it had looked thoroughly messed up. Probably from rolling around on the mattress for an hour and Damon running his fingers through it continuously as we made-out.

"How much do you want removed?" Emily asked poising the scissors above my head in anticipation. I shook myself from my thoughts, gulped, and looked at myself in mirror again. This was it; I was really going to go through with it. I took a deep breath and cleared my throat.

"Around shoulder length, I don't want to cut too much of it off." I whispered.

"Very well." Emily shrugged picking up a clump of my hair and sliding it between the scissors. I shuddered and clenched my hands together in my lap, Emily handling a potentially lethal weapon next to my head was slightly daunting, I didn't know if I could trust her. It was like walking up to a complete stranger and asking them to cut your hair, you had no idea what would happen.

"Relax Elena," Damon murmured from behind me, "everything's going to be alright." I let my gaze come up from my lap and I met Damon's gaze in the mirror. Just hearing him say that was like a liquid shot of courage, it was just hair, it would always grow back. Plus, doing this would bring me one step closer to actually being able to be seen outside without being grabbed and burned in the nearest church.

"Would you like me to start?" Emily asked through tight lips as she held my hair ready in the scissors.

"Yes," I confirmed, "I'm ready."

"Well I'm not." A voice murmured from behind me. My eyes shot up to look at the door through the mirror and Damon jumped away from the wall in shock. My heart dropped as I ripped myself away from Emily and turned around to the face the one person I never wanted to see.

"You must be Elena. I've just been _dying_ to meet you." Katherine snickered from the open door. My mouth went dry and Damon edged slightly closer to me. Katherine's eyes tracked my movements as well as Damon's before smiling sinisterly. "Oh please, don't let my interruption stop you; I would _love_ to see what's going on." She said lightly closing the door and taking a step closer to me. "Thank you so much for letting me know of this little meeting Emily."

I felt my head go slightly fuzzy and my face go numb. Emily betrayed us and I was going to die. There was no way out, Katherine was getting closer to me every second and I would be dead just as soon as I wasn't interesting anymore. I straightened my limbs and stared her coolly in the eye even through on the inside I was dying. There was so much I hadn't done, so many things I hadn't said. Katherine paused as she surveyed me and then smoothed her skirts and turned to look at Damon.

"Is my love not enough?" She asked innocently as she batted her eyelashes and placed a hand on his chest. Damon visibly stiffened and I felt my face grow cold. "You are the only one for me." She whispered pouting her bottom lip.

"You liar," I hissed through my teeth, "leave him alone."

Katherine snapped her attention back to me and frowned. "Not the greatest first thing to say to me." She hissed speeding forward. The next thing I knew, I was encompassed by a cold darkness. So this is what death was like.

* * *

**Bum, bum, buummm! I know, cliff-hangers are mean, but I had to keep the suspense up. So, now that the chapter is over, what did everyone think? Is Elena alright? I'm really sorry it took so long but I tried to make it worth everyone's while. I thought we all deserved a kiss since there was one in the show, which was awesome by the way, and to bribe you all back into my good favor. I know...I'm wicked. :) On the positive side next chapter will be very interesting. ;) So thanks for reading and please leave a review telling me how I did. Thanks! -Lioness002**


	18. The In Between

**Yay, finals are finally over! So stressful. That's why it's been so long, finals got put off a week and then I had to study all over again so it took more time than I thought. Then I got stomach flu for about 2 weeks so I have been a bit preoccupied. My parents kept me from the computer so I had very little time to write. ****L Oh well. Then, (I know, a lot of excuses from me) I started softball for my school and that is six days a week after school. I just had no extra time. But, thank you to everyone who is reading this now and who reviewed last chapter, as always, it makes my day. Really, all of you are the reason I have the strength to get my butt in gear and pound a chapter out every once and a while. I feel guilty because it has been so long, but I really am trying my best to update as soon as I can. On a positive note, softball is over half way done, and after it is done I will have a bunch more free time to write. J So I hope you all will enjoy chapter 18 and leave a review. Thanks! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

The next thing I knew, I felt like I was floating in nothingness, I was as light as air and surrounded by a pure white light. I could faintly hear whispering around me, but that was all. What had happened? I remembered telling Damon that I loved him, I remembered kissing Damon - thank god I hadn't forgotten that - I remembered almost getting my hair cut…but after that, nothing. _Think Elena, focus. _I thought trying to grasp at my memories, but it was like trying to grab sand, everything was slipping through my fingers.

"Wake up!" I heard an urgent voice whisper somewhere off in the distance. I felt my weightless body swing back and forth for a second and then I continued to just float. Why did I need to wake up? I felt good, weightless, carefree, warm, safe...wonderful. If I just slept for a minute I would be alright, I would go back then. The bright light around me got brighter until an orb appeared in front of me. The orb was crystal-like, it reflected all light and refracted every color of the rainbow this way and that. I tilted my head in puzzlement, it was so beautiful, and it felt so familiar.

"Come." A voice whispered from the orb as it floated slowly away. I felt compelled to follow this strange figment, so I did. As I floated after the orb I turned to my left and right to really take in my surroundings, everything was white and above me arched high ceilings with small creatures flying high above. Angels? Was I in heaven? Then everything came back to me, Katherine, she had found me, she had attacked me.

"Is this heaven? Am I _dead_?" I blurted out suddenly as I stopped walking…or floating after the orb.

"Yes…and no." A tinkling voice laughed. "You are currently in a place called the 'In Between'. Here is where you are meant to make your decision of whether you will return to life, or join heaven's ranks."

"So…it's my choice?" I murmured feeling slightly uncomfortable. I was technically dead, so why did I get a choice between life and death when other people probably didn't? I was just small-town girl Elena Gilbert, what made me so special?

"Yes…." The voice whispered interrupting my thoughts. "Now, it is my duty to give you two options, one life, and one death." The orb said as it glowed bright for a second and then faded. After the blinding light had faded and I could see again, I found I was floating in front of a legitimate cross in the road. One side, the left, was illuminated in a faint pink and white light mixed with dashes of gold; I could also see that small clouds were blocking part of a sparkling utopia. When I turned to the right side I saw that there was a field with waist high grass and small butterfly's lazily swirling through the air and warming themselves in the dappled sunlight. In the center of the vision there were clusters of blood red roses with sharp thorns sprouting up around the roots of an ancient looking tree.

"These are my choices?" I whispered in confusion. "I don't understand." The pictures that were probably metaphors for my life shivered and changed in form right in front of my eyes. Now, instead of cryptic pictures, I could see things that really made sense to me.

On my right it showed my friends and family at home mourning my absence; Stefan was pacing back and forth clutching a picture of me and him while trying to fight back tears, Caroline and Bonnie were crying over a picture album of us three growing up, and Jeremy was sitting on the couch watching family movies and crying.

"They all miss me so much…and Jeremy has lost so many people, he can't lose me too." I whispered forlornly. Staring at the scenes before me was comforting, but I just couldn't understand why something felt wrong, out of place…or missing. Who was missing?

"Elena, you seem troubled." The voice said, and this time instead of sounding like breezy windpipes, the voice sounded like a soft bubbling brook.

I shook my head and took a deep breath, I would think about it later. Seeing my friends and family gave me the energy and drive to want to go home, to want to fight for my life and future. _I'm only seventeen years old, I've hardly lived, I have things I need to do, people I need to meet, things I need to say…I just need to _live_. _Having a realization as important and influential to my understanding of life, so fast, was a little confusing, I could almost see a life that I hadn't lived, hear voices not yet part of this earth…and it all depended on me. If I decided to give up, take the easy way out, important things would not happen. The right decision would turn into the wrong, friends would suffer, family would be lost, potential love and life would be gone forever.

As I stared at my friends, my family, my safety zone, and my home, something clicked inside of me. What in this world could make me give up all the good things I have? What in this world could make me give up on my loved ones? I realized I wanted to live life even if was messy, even if I would feel pain and suffering. At the end of the day there would always be something or someone there worth living for. Huh, not I got the beautiful roses covered in thorns.

"I need to go back." I chocked out as I turned to look at the orb.

"But you have not seen your second choice." The tickling voice whispered.

I shook my head and blinked back tears. "I need to live my life, I am meant to do more. My friends and family need me, and that is the most important thing to me. I am not going to give up and take the easy way out." I said firmly.

"You are a very brave soul." The orb said as it floated in front of me. "Your choice has been accepted and you are free to join the living again."

"So…that's it? I just…walk down the path?"

"Yes. But before you go, I have been instructed to show you both options." I blinked in confusion as the orb quickly disappeared and all that was left of it was an echoing little girls giggle. I turned in circles as my friends and family melted away from around me and the scene changed in front of me.

"Wait! But I want to go ba-" My words died in my throat as I stared straight into the faces of my parents. My _real_ parents, the ones that were there from the beginning, the ones that raised me right, the ones that held me through the tears, through the sickness, the ones that made me laugh, the ones that made me want to hide in a corner from embarrassment, and the ones that protected me at all costs. And probably the most important, the parents that loved me unconditionally.

"Mom…? Dad…?" I whispered as I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from breaking down. My parents smiled encouragingly at me and my mother floated forward only to stop a few feet away from me.

"Oh Elena, sweetie." My mother whispered lovingly as her voice echoed softly through the chamber. "We are_ so _proud of you. Of your heart, your sacrifices, your faith, your forgiveness, your love…your everything. You have been a light for the people around you in these dark times."

I felt tears stream down my face, I wanted nothing more than to run up and hug my mother and father, but I was afraid that if I did I would never get to go back home. "I've missed you so much, and so has Jeremy. I can't even begin to describe how wonderful it is to see you because Jeremy and I have been through so much and we needed you."

"We know." My father said floating forward. "But you survived, and you still are surviving."

"It's not easy." I laughed whipping tears away from my eyes. "If you don't know, I'm stuck in 1864 with some interesting and frustrating characters."

"Life is not easy, but in the end, there is nothing better." My father said calmly.

"I'm so sorry." I said shaking my head as I felt a stabbing pain in my heart. "It's my fault you died, if only I hadn't gone to that party, then-"

"It was not your fault, it was just our time. Everything happens for a reason dear." My mother said smiling warmly at me. "If we had not gone, then your life would have suffered. You would not have been able to live up to highest ability, to do what you were meant to do."

"And what's that?" I whispered softly.

"To save them." My parents said together. "To live your life and love your soul mate." I stilled and raised my eyebrows in confusion.

"I don't understand. Who am I supposed to save? Who is my soul mate?" My parents smiled at me and laughed quietly.

"Oh Elena, you are so loved, but you are just now realizing it. There is someone that has always been there for you, someone that will never leave you and someone that will always love you no matter what. You just have to open your heart to him."

"But I already let Stef-"

"Not Stefan, Elena, you know who it is. Everyone knows who it is; you just have to let yourself accept it." I felt my heart thump painfully in my chest at the thought.

"But, I never thought you would approve of me loving someone that was…" I trailed off and stared at my parents quietly. I didn't understand, why were they telling me to let _him_ in? Why were they telling me to accept my feelings when I knew that they could destroy me? Why was it that my parents were okay with me loving a vampire?

"A vampire?" My father said calmly.

"Yes. Why are you two okay with me loving a vampire? You both were on the council, you both fought to kill vampires, didn't you?" I whispered.

"We did, but in death you get to see the whole picture, not just one aspect of it. And I'm not going to lie; at first we were very angry at you for letting those Salvatore's into your life. But then we saw something we never expected, we saw that a vampire could love."

"They're people, how could you think that they couldn't love?" I said angrily.

"Sweetie, it was the way we were raised…well, at least the way your father was raised and I was taught." My mother said softly. "That is why we were so worried about you when you let that Stefan boy into your life. We were afraid you would come to us too soon."

"And we were extra worried when you let that other monstrosity into your life." My father said icily as he shook his head. "That one deserves to die, it is a pity he hasn't. He is a soulless monster that needs a stake to the heart. He cares about no one but himself and yet you let him be near you. Elena, he will break your heart if not get you killed in the long run. He does not deserve your friendship, pity, or anything else you have to give."

"Excuse me? You are _not_ talking about Damon." I said feeling my temper flare. How could everyone hate him so much? Sure he has flaws, but he is getting better, and every day I see more and more of the man he truly is inside. He is a wonderful man, meeting his human self just helped enforce that for me...he just has a few rough edges. But everyone does, and that does not detract from the fact that he is sweet, passionate, loyal, amazingly beautiful, smart, and a million other things. How could it be possible that I was the only one that took the time to get to know the real him? "I can stand your judgment against my choices and about vampires in general, because yes, they can be evil, dangerous, and a million other terrible things, but I cannot stand your judgment against my friends, especially Damon. I have been the only one to really see him for him. I cannot believe that you of all people, my parents, the people who told me to never judge a book by its cover and to give people the benefit of the doubt, would judge him just because he has made mistakes. He is such a special person, but it is because of narrow minded people like you that he won't let himself feel and be good. I mean seriously, what's the point of being good if no one cares!" I stopped suddenly and sucked in a deep breath. Oh my god, I get it, why he doesn't fight to be the good guy, why he doesn't show all the good inside of him, he doesn't see the point because he thinks no one cares.

My parents smiled and then began laughing. "_What_ is so funny?" I hissed shaking myself out of my shocking realization. Next time I saw him we would definitely be having a stern conversation about that. "Now is _not_ the time to be laughing at me. Just because you are my parents does not mean that I cannot be mad at you." I said crossing my arms in irritation.

"Elena, do you not see it?"

"See _what_?" I exclaimed.

"You love Damon, the vampire Damon."

"I…"

"We tested you." My father said calmly. "We were curious to see how much you truly cared for him, and it is obvious to us now that you love him very much. You wouldn't fight tooth and nail for his reputation unless you did."

"I may love this 1864 Damon, but…"

"But nothing." My mother said cutting me off. "You love Damon Salvatore, both versions you know, and every one in between."

"But, I can't. I am supposed to love _Stefan_; I'm not supposed to feel this way about Damon! I met Stefan first and fell for him instantly; he was the person that lifted me up and helped me live my life after you both died." I stopped and closed my eyes to keep tears from streaming down my face. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't be sorry, we understand where you are coming from; Stefan is safe and comfortable for you and you want security; you don't want something or someone that could blow up in your face."

"Right." I said slowly. Even though everything my mother said was true, there was a still a part of me that was fiercely fighting for Damon.

"Then why did you tell Damon you loved him?" My mother asked calmly. I blinked away tears and stared at her usually lovely and comforting face, only right now her face was stern and I knew I wasn't going to be able to lie or vaguely answer my way out of this one.

"Because…"

"Because you figure you will be going back home and you won't have to deal with this ever again?" My father interjected.

"No…"

"Or is it because you pity him?"

"I don't-"

"Then why are you acting this way Elena?" My father asked sternly. "Why are you pretending you don't feel something for him?"

"Because I do feel something for him and I'm afraid that if I let him in he is going to consume me!" I cried throwing my arms in the air in defeat. "You just don't understand how torn I am! I love both of them and I _hate_ it! How am I supposed to choose between two spectacular men? Stefan will always love me and he will always be safe. Damon in small doses is healthy, but if I were to let him in completely I'm afraid I would lose myself. Everything I feel for him is so strong, and it scares me, I've never felt so out of control." I said shaking my head. "When I'm with him," I whispered, "it's like I'm a different person. I feel like I can be insane, imperfect, and just have fun. He pulls something crazy out of me, like he can see into the depths of me and draw out the parts I don't even know exist. It's exhilarating, passionate, and scary all at the same time, but it's so dangerous, because I can't stand the idea of being torn up by him. Damon…he's meant for more than just a small town, and it scares me because what if I let him in and he realizes he wants more than I can give him?"

"Elena…"

"I mean, I just now understand why I feel so much closer to this 1864 Damon, it's because he's just like me. He's a small town boy that hasn't even really lived yet. I'm new to him, exciting, and interesting, he likes me and I like the way he makes me feel. With my Damon it's hard to know what he would even want. He's been alive for over 150 years, how am I supposed to be interesting to him?"

"But you are interesting to him. Elena, he wouldn't be in love with you if he didn't think you were interesting or beautiful or smart or any other million things."

"But I want him to be happy, to get what he deserves, to have someone special. Even if I did love him," I sighed down casting my eyes, "he deserves better than me. I'm a small, fragile, human girl that _should_ be with human boys…"

"So human Damon is the answer to your confused feeling for the vampire Damon?" My mother asked with a puzzled look.

"I don't…maybe…no…yes…I don't know!" I sighed. "All I know is that I feel something for him and it won't go away. I thought if I let everything go and bury it somewhere it would go away, but it didn't, it just keeps getting bigger and harder to ignore."

"If you feel all of these things for an earlier version of Damon, why wouldn't you feel them for him later? He's the same person." My mother said.

"I know, but it would be complicated and messy and-"

"You're sabotaging yourself Elena, and if you don't let him in soon, the present day Damon that is, you will lose him for good. You just have to be honest with yourself and him sweetie. Everything else will come as it comes."

"But."

"Elena, true love is never easy, and if it was then life just wouldn't be a thrill, life wouldn't be breathtaking and heartbreaking all at once. Damon challenges and excites you. He makes you better just like you make him better." My father said smiling slightly. "You need to be with someone that makes you feel special, loved and amazing; you need to be with someone that you will make better and who will make you better. You have to be with someone that loves you unconditionally and someone that you have unyielding and undying feelings for. It has to be real, raw, and passionate."

Everything my parents were saying was making my head spin. So many different thoughts were swirling around my already cloudy and confused brain. _Should I let him in? What if he leaves me? What about Stefan? Do I really feel like I will love Stefan forever? Who do I love more? Who do I feel more passionately about? _

"Elena, your true love has always been there, you just need to open your eyes and see who it really is." My mother said softly as my father and she started to fade slightly. I felt myself tense and my parents smiled encouragingly. "There is no need to worry; our time is just almost up."

"I don't want you two to go, I need you." I said as small crystalline tears sluggishly trailed down my cheeks. "How am I supposed to know if Damon is my true love?" I asked shakily. I didn't know what I should want to hear, but for some reason I felt like I wanted my parents to say that he was.

"That's for you to find out yourself, your mother and I are not going to hold your hand through this. This is something you need to really decide for yourself."

"Elena, you're a smart, proud, beautiful, loving, and stubborn girl. Damon loves you, but so does Stefan. The question now is whether you will take a risk and maybe find something amazing with Damon, or stay safe with Stefan and keep things at the status quo." My mother said gently as if she was afraid she might scare me off now that their forms were beginning to fade.

I took a step forward to say something but my parents just smiled. "We love you and are so proud of you. When you get back home, let Jeremy know that we so proud of him and that he is never really alone."

"I will." I confirmed quickly, if it was that last thing I did I would make sure Jeremy received their message. "I love you so much." I whispered chocking on my own words.

"Don't worry, we are always with you, just as long as take the time to remember us." Suddenly both of my parents sped forward and wrapped me in a familiar and comforting hug. I squeezed my eyes shut tight as I felt the familiar embraces of my parents.

"But what about my choice?" I asked thickly.

"Your decision to return to life was already accepted, we were just allowed to touch you once before we left." My father said pulling away from me and brushing my hair behind my ear. "Be strong Elena and trust your heart." He said placing a gentle kiss on my forehead before pulling back and floating a few feet away.

Now my mother floated forward and encompassed me in her soothing scent and familiar form. "Never give up Elena; you are a brave and compassionate angel. Everything will work its way out, you just have to be strong and keep up your hope."

"I won't stop believing." I mumbled softly into her chocolate colored hair. "I'll make you and dad proud of me, I promise." I said squeezing her tight and embedding this event deep in my memory.

"That's all a parent can ask for." My mother said stepping away from me and whipping translucent tears from her thin and strong cheeks. "We love you Elena, never forget that."

"We love you." My parents said in unison as they clasped their hands and their forms shimmered and quickly began to fade until I could only see a faint outline of where they once stood.

"I love you too." I said as their forms disappeared completely and I was left alone once again. I cleared my eyes of tears and couldn't help but smile. I had seen my parents, they looked happy and healthy. There was no pain and there really was life after death. I felt stronger now, confident, almost like I was enlightened. I had a difficult decision ahead of me, but it was comforting to know that no matter what happened my parents would support me.

"It is time." My spirit guide said materializing in front of me.

I nodded my head quickly and took a deep breath. "I'm ready." I said feeling my newfound strength and confidence rush through my veins. The orb floated a few feet away and stopped to wait for me to follow. I turned around to look over my shoulder at where my parents had been and nodded once. _I'm ready. I can do this. I will survive. _I stepped forward and boldly followed the orb until it stopped and pointed me down the right path.

"Good luck." The voice laughed cheerily as it happily zoomed around like a hyper child. It seemed that the spirit was happy with my decision.

I nodded with a small smile and sighed. "Thank you, for everything."

"You are very welcome Elena Gilbert." The voice giggled. "I'm just happy I was allowed outside of the city. This was my first time as a guide; maybe if I keep doing well I can finally join a body and become a baby. So, did I do good?"

I looked at the orb, and for a moment I swear I saw a flash of a young girl with brown hair, an adorable dimpled smile, and unmistakable blue eyes. She smiled and giggled at me for a brief second before the vision faded and the spirit turned back into an orb. I blinked in shock before I felt a bit of warmth wash through my body. I kneeled down to the orbs level which was only a foot or two off the ground and nodded with a smile. "You did excellently."

The orb or spirit seemed to hum in pleasure before it swirled around my ankle, around my waist and up the rest of my body. "It's time for you to go. Who knows Elena, maybe one day we will meet again." The voice said happily.

"Maybe." I said smiling, even slightly hoping for it. "But just one more thing before I go. What is your name?" I asked curiously.

"My name? My name is Avari."

"Well it was very nice to meet you Avari." I said softly smiling to myself as I squared my shoulders and looked ahead of me. Ahead the view went from the beautiful and godly utopia to a dark room illuminated by weak candles. I took a deep breath and took a step forward.

"Welcome back to the living Elena Gilbert." Avari said before I felt a light tug around my waist and my world went black once again.

* * *

**And there we go everyone, chapter 18. This turned out much longer than planned, but all of you have no idea how long it took to write this the right way, it was extremely frustrating. :/ Haha, I hope you paid attention because something or someone from this chapter may just make an appearance later. :) (Haha, tease) Now I know most of you still probably hate me for not updating in forever, but I hope you can still find it in your hearts to leave me a review and let me know if you enjoyed this chapter. Your reviews make my day. :D So, thank you to everyone who has stuck with this story and I will update as soon as my ultra busy schedule allows. Thanks! :)**

**-Lioness002**


	19. Back From the Dead

**Greetings my amazing fans! I am back with another chapter! Isn't it nice having me update more regularly? Haha, I know I'm happy about it, so all of you must be ecstatic. :)**** So, last chapter was interesting wasn't it? I know I had a fun time writing it, it was an interesting process. Haha. Now I am sure you all missed our cute human Damon, so Elena is back in 1864. And for those of you that thought she would be back home, she's not, sorry. Getting back to her own time won't be that simple people, it wouldn't be an interesting story if everything was easy. ;) So, I hope all of you will enjoy the newest chapter and leave a review when you are done reading. Thanks again and I hope you enjoy! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

When I regained consciousness I was floating above my body and for a moment I felt puzzlement before the invisible force from above pushed me forward and into my body. The sensation of being forced back into my body was one that I hope I never have to experience again, the pain was unbelievable, it was like I was being reborn and giving birth at the same time. To say it was weird feeling and experience would be an understatement. When I finally woke up back in my body I was coughing and gasping for air, my lungs were screaming and I was freezing. I sucked in huge gulps of air and placed my hand on my pounding head, I couldn't seem to get enough air as I stared up at the ceiling and thought about where I had just been. I had been dead, and I had come back on my own accord, I still had things to do in my life apparently. My mouth felt like it was full of cotton, my tongue was parched and my throat was dryer than the desert. I wondered if this was what thirst was like for a vampire, the feeling of unquenchable thirst and need. I blank my eyes rapidly to clear the hazy film from them and turned my head to the side slightly. I winced and brought my shaky hand up to my neck, I could feel two small puncture wounds on the left side of my neck. _"Katherine freaking bit me…bitch." _I thought dully as I shakily sat up and looked around.

"By god…how?"

My gaze whipped around and I saw Damon standing as still as a statue in the doorway silhouetted by the dull light. "Damon?" I whispered hoarsely trying to reach for him. I could almost cry out in relief, I was back and alive; I never thought I would be so happy to be back in 1864, but I was alive and that was all that mattered. I smiled at Damon in encouragement but my smile faltered when I saw Damon stagger back and practically fall against the wall for support.

"How…? You were dead, you can't be here; you must be my imagination playing painful tricks on me again." He chocked out. Even from across the room I could see the fear in his eyes as he looked at me. "Go away deceitful apparition." He cursed turning his head away and taking deep breaths. I felt like I had slapped, this was not the welcome back I had expected at all, I thought that Damon would be happy to find me alive, not unwilling to accept I wasn't dead.

"Damon, I'm not dead. I'm right here, it's me, Elena." I insisted trying to get out of the bed to prove it to him. I grunted in pain as I pushed my sore arms against the mattress and pulled the covers away from my body. I took a deep breath and gently swung my feet onto the cold wooden floor and stood up with the support of the nightstand.

"Stay where you are." He hissed scrunching closer to the wall in absolute terror. "I have suffered enough, I need no more tricks and hijinks pulled on me Katherine. Leave me be and let me suffer in peace." He said looking around the room like he expected the evil slut vampire to fall out of the wall and laugh at his pain.

"Damon, I'm not Katherine, I'm Elena. I was dead but I'm not anymore, I came back." I said getting closer to him with every word. "I came back because my friends needed me, because I have a life to live, because I want to be with you." I whispered coming to stand in front of him. Damon shook his head and kept his eyes off of me like his life depended on it.

"You can't be here, you left me; you left me just like mother did." He said squeezing his eyes shut and sliding to the floor. I felt my body stiffen in realization and understanding at Damon's comment. My short death had triggered tragic memories of his mother dying; he wouldn't let himself believe I was alive because he was afraid I would leave him. I remembered Stefan had once mentioned that his mother had died when he was very young so he couldn't really remember her, but now that I thought about it, if Stefan couldn't remember her Damon defiantly could. Damon had hated his father, and with good reason, so he must have been closer to his mother and that was why my death had put him into a terrible state of almost depression. He had confided in me, gained a friend, trusted me, grown an emotional attachment to me, and then he had me ripped away from him in the blink of an eye. He wasn't prepared to lose someone, he wasn't prepared to fall in love with someone and then watch them die, and he certainly didn't want to hurt anymore.

It was still odd for me to see Damon show such pure and innocent emotions, but then again I had to remember that the Damon from my time had lived for over 150 years longer than this Damon. Damon's human self was a lot more volatile and easily moved emotionally because he was still young; he hadn't grown up his emotional walls yet because he hadn't really had a reason too. This Damon was still young, sweet, and somewhat innocent, he hadn't really experienced the pain and anguish of losing all of his loved ones, his life, and everything familiar to him. He hasn't watched the world move on while he has stayed the same, or had his heart ripped out by the woman he thought loved him. In reality, he wasn't much older or more mature than me. He was just a young man that thought he had lost someone else he cared about.

I gulped softly and crouched down to Damon's level and gently brushed his bangs from his face. "Damon." I cooed softly trying to get him to look at me. I hated to see him in pain, he had suffered enough in this age and later, he didn't need anymore unneeded pain and suffering, he just needed some love and happiness. "Damon look at me." I insisted taking hold of his face and forcing him to look into my eyes. His face contorted into a look of pure pain as he bit his lip to keep sobs from shaking his entire frame. I felt my own eyes grow misty at the sight, he looked absolutely destroyed.

"I want to believe that you are Elena and that you are alive, but you are not her, so _she _is not alive. I held her as she died, I saw it happen." He cried as a new stream of tears cascaded down his cheeks.

"Shhh, I'm right here." I whispered wiping tears from his cheeks. "I'm alive, I came back. I am not a figment of your imagination or one of Katherine's tricks. I am living and breathing flesh just like you." I said softly stroking his cheek trying to calm him down. "I have a heartbeat," I said reaching for his hand and placing it over my heart. "I remember you telling me that you loved me, I remember you finding me in your apple tree, I remember tending to your wounds, I remember kissing you, I remember everything. I am Elena, you have to believe me." I urged as tears entered my own eyes. I was desperate, if Damon didn't believe me now than I might as well have stayed dead. "Please, you have to believe that I came back." I urged reaching my hands up to cup his face again which, to my distress, caused him to flinch.

After what felt like an eternity, Damon finally relaxed slightly under my touch and met my eyes. I gulped and let my left hand continue stroking his cheek while my right hand slid down his face and neck to rest on his chest. Underneath my hesitant touch I could feel Damon's heart raging, but I wasn't too surprised by that considering my heart was raging as well. My breath hitched as Damon stared at me with intent concentration and he gently brushed a few stay hairs from my forehead. I gently bit my lip as his thumb hesitantly ran across my cheek and he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"If you are truly back from the dead Elena, will you do something to prove it for me?" Damon whispered softly pushing against the wall as he stood up. He cleared his throat and shook away his momentary weakness and stared at me as he waited for my answer.

"Of course. What would you like me to do?" I responded instantly willing to do anything to prove to him it was really me as I stood up.

"I…I would like you to kiss me." Damon said nodding his head slowly, he proud of his idea. "That is the only thing I can think of to prove that it is really you Miss Elena. When you kiss someone you are connected in different ways and that is the only way I-"

I quickly silenced him by leaning forward and capturing his lips. The kiss was sweet and hesitant from both sides and Damon froze at the sudden sensation of my lips on his. After a brief moment of shock, Damon gave in and we both gently molded our lips together and let ourselves take it slow and easy. I pulled away for a split second to get a slightly better angle before gently pecking my lips onto his. Damon hummed contently and gently came up to stroke my cheek with his thumb. When we both pulled away I leaned my forehead softly against his and smiled shyly.

"So, do you think I'm Elena and that I'm alive?" I asked nervously as I bit my lip in anticipation.

"Yes, I do." Damon said brushing his lips softly against mine once again. "I could never forget or mistake the feeling of kissing you Miss Elena." He murmured wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in for a soft hug. I sighed contently and nestled my head comfortably into the crook of his neck just memorizing this feeling and Damon's unique scent. "I thank to lords that you are alive. You truly are a special woman Elena Gilbert." He said kissing the top of my head and rubbing my shoulder reassuringly. "I've known you for two weeks and already just the thought of your smile, presence, and warmth not being on this planet, being around me, was enough to make me depressed and ill. I am so glad you are still among the living."

"Me too." I smiled leaning fully against Damon. "I came back for my family and for you, Damon. I couldn't let you or anyone else suffer because I just gave up; I still have things to do and I still have lives to change. And…I still have to accept my soul mate." I said quietly waiting for his reply and wondering what he would think about that.

"Accept your soul mate? That sounds like you know who it is." Damon said carefully.

"I know, so can I tell you a secret?" I whispered into his neck as I closed my eyes and gathered my courage.

"Of course, you can tell me anything."

"I think you are my soul mate, the you from now and the you from later, the one from my own time. So...you in general." Damon tensed and gently pulled me away from him and searched my face and eyes quickly with his own. His eyes were sparkling in the dim light and I could see them quickly change from light blue to cobalt blue to sapphire blue all in a matter of seconds. The shadows in the large room clustered around us as we stood against the wall in the dark, the shadows put Damon's face in both light and dark which made his strong and godlike features stand out even more. The darkness made him eerily more beautiful and I couldn't help the smirk that graced my lips at my next thought, "_He really is a creature of the night_."

"Me? You think I am your soul mate?" Damon asked gulping lightly.

I blushed and looked away when I saw Damon's look of shock; I had just said something I shouldn't have. I pretty much just put us in the most awkward situation possible. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said anything when I really don't know for sure who my soul mate-"

I didn't get to finish my sentence because before I knew it Damon's lips were hungrily attacking my own, I was not expecting him to just go for it like that, but after a second I responded back with my own fiery passion. I sighed in contentment as Damon wrapped his arms around my waist and molded my body tightly against his.

"Mmmm." I moaned as Damon ran his hands along my sides and rested them firmly on my hips. I pulled my lips gently away from Damon's and stared into his quickly darkening eyes in question.

"I think you are right about the soul mate thing." Damon murmured before pushing his lips back onto mine for a brief moment and then ripping them away and assaulting my neck hungrily. I did have to give him credit for having some control when he was kissing me, because he was carefully kissing his way around my still tender bite wound and I was thankful for that. I quickly pushed Damon against the wall we were standing in front of and kissed a burning trail down his throat to the collar of his shirt before returning to his lips. Even if I wanted to rip that shirt off of him, I wouldn't unless he was willing too. Damon may not be innocent, but I didn't want to take liberties when it came to this sort of thing, this times customs and my times customs of making out were two completely different animals.

Damon's lips were soft and warm on my skin and every flick of his tongue or nip would send me head first into more extreme emotions of sexual frustration and need. I could easily feel myself getting wet and my insides tightening up and needing the release of all of this pent up energy and emotion. I moaned loudly as Damon flipped us around and pressed me up against the wall for better leverage and crushed his body into mine. I could feel every inch of his rock-solid body against mine, including his severe boner that was currently pressing intimately into my pelvis. "Daaamon." I moaned letting my head fall back and rest against the wall, the sensation of Damon against me was enough to make me moan out in pure ecstasy. I felt Damon lick and kiss a careful trail from my collarbone to the juncture of my neck and up to behind my ear, when he stopped behind my ear he kissed the sensitive flesh and licked around the shell of my ear. I groaned and rocked my hips into his as my hands wound around his back and clutched and clawed at his shoulders.

While all of this was going on our lower bodies had minds of their own and our hips were molded together bumping and grinding causing sighs, grunts, and exclamations of pleasure to slip through our lips. At this point I needed to feel some skin on skin so I quickly unbuttoned Damon's shirt and ran my fingers over his well muscled chest. Damon let out a loud groan as I bent down slightly and kissed down his chest and bit him lightly every now and again. Both of our breathing was ragged and labored but neither of us had the will, want, or strength to stop. Once I had kissed my way down to his abs I slowly started my way back up, but my escalation wasn't fast enough so Damon gripped my hips and pulled me back to his level so he could ravage my mouth once again. We kissed each other with a ferocity I had never experienced before and it felt amazing. Damon nibbled on my bottom lip asking permission to enter my mouth and I obliged by parting my lips. Damon's tongue darted into my mouth and explored every crevice and chased my tongue around. At one point I wrapped my tongue around his and gently began sucking it which caused a low and sexy growl to vibrate through Damon's body. In response Damon rocked his hips into me trying to relieve some of his discomfort while his tongue swirled around my own causing me to moan loudly. The combined feeling of Damon pressing intimately into me and his tongue doing sexy things to my mouth was enough to bring me to a point of pure need.

"Oh _god_." I continuously moaned as I squeezed my eyes shut and raked my nails down Damon's chest. Damon growled in my ear as he pushed down a portion of my shirt and left hot open-mouthed kisses on my shoulder and pulled us even closer together if that was even possible. "Damon…bed…_now_." I hissed in his ear as I jumped up and wrapped my legs tightly around his waist for some much needed friction.

"Yeah." He gasped out stumbling us back to the bed. The second his legs hit the side of the bed I crushed my mouth to his causing us to come crashing onto the mattress. Damon pulled himself toward the center of the bed and I quickly crawled over to him and straddled his lap. Damon clenched his teeth together and let out a hard breath. "Miss Elena, we are-"

"I know what we're doing." I insisted leaning forward and capturing his lips once again. My heart was racing, my mind was racing, and my body was acting on its own accord. I felt so out of control, but strangely it was in a comforting and very sexy way. I was pretty sure I was high on Damon, but I didn't care, this feeling of invincibility and love was indescribable, I don't think I had ever felt so loved in my whole life.

I wickedly ground my hips into Damon's causing him to clench his teeth and hiss out in pleasure. He moaned my name as I pushed myself up and gave his package a teasing rub and squeeze through the material of his pants. _Holy shit he was hard! And huge…I guess he really did have a reason to be cocky when it came to having sex. _Damon smirked as I kissed back up his chest and his hands ran along my hips and squeezed my butt trying to pull me closer. I let out a chocked sigh and latched onto his neck while giving him a light bite before soothing the inflamed area with my tongue.

"Shit." Damon growled flipping us over and pushing me into the mattress with a carnal and animalistic passion. I stared up at him and licked my lips teasingly as his lusty eyes tracked my movements. His eyes had turned an almost black color and I was pretty sure my eyes didn't look much different. We both wanted each other and that was blatantly obvious; my body was burning up with desire for him and Damon had a hard-on that looked incredibly uncomfortable. I leaned up slightly and put my hands on his shoulders and gently pushed away one side of his shirt and looked at him in question. He didn't object at all, he simply stripped away the offending piece of clothing that had stayed on his body longer than it should have, grabbed my hands, and placed them back on his chest again. My fingers ran down the smooth expanses of his flesh trying to memorize every dip, curve, and muscle he had. I groaned loudly as Damon crushed his lips to mine again in a carnal kiss and his hands slipped boldly up my shirt to cup my breasts.

I gasped at the new sensation and Damon paused immediately. "Is this alright?" He managed to pant out against my lips. At this point I was so far gone I could only manage to close my eyes, nod my head, and wrap my arms tightly around his neck. I was actually impressed that he had stayed away from my breasts for so long, I guess even in the middle of the passion he didn't want to offend me or take liberties. Damon nodded and gave my breasts a teasing squeeze earning a loud moan from me. I panted and ran my fingers through Damon's incredibly hot sex hair as my other hand slid to his back and I lightly ran my nails over his shoulders. Damon shuddered at the sensation and leaned his head against my neck and pushed my shirt down slightly so he could kiss my collarbone.

I leaned back against the pillows to take a quick breather and the whole while I could feel Damon's hands under my shirt pressing up against and stroking my burning flesh. Before I knew it I felt my shirt quickly vanish and be replaced by Damon's hungry mouth.

"So…beautiful." Damon muttered in between kisses as his lips worked their way up and down my stomach not wanting to miss one inch of my newly uncovered skin. I let out a low moan and weaved my fingers through Damon's hair trying to pull him closer so he could kiss me harder. I felt Damon smile against my skin before he weaved one hand through my hair and let the other one firmly hold my hip and pull me closer to him so we both could get the slightest bit of relief. My nails dug into his shoulders and I was pretty sure I drew blood but he didn't seem to mind as he kissed up my stomach and landed on the side of my neck again. I gasped and bit my lip as Damon nibbled and sucked hard on my pulse point to draw blood to the surface and effectively give me a hickey.

"_Ohh god_. _Oh. Uh_." I mumbled incoherently as I wiggled underneath Damon. I turned my head to the side and clutched at the sheets as I arched my lower body into Damon's. As I looked around I smiled at the sight of the glass window covered in a thin veil of steam, this really was hot and not just to us. Damon threaded his fingers through my right hand and let his left hand caress my shoulders, ribs, stomach, and hips. I slid my legs up to an angle until they were next to Damon's hips and locked him in place with my thighs and knees so he couldn't move. Damon grunted at feeling my heated core so close to him and bit his lip to keep from moaning louder than necessary.

I quickly made a decision to be bold and slipped my hands between our heated bodies and began working on his pants. I unbuttoned them and pushed the thin material down his legs as he let out a strangled and thankful sigh. Damon kicked the pants off and kissed me one last time before returning the favor and kissing down my abdomen and stopping at the hem of my jeans. He lifted his head and looked at me asking permission and I nodded. The image of him down my body so far was so hot that as he kissed around my bellybutton I practically purred. Damon made quick work of the metal button and zipper on the jeans and practically growled in approval as he peeled my skinny jeans down my slender legs. I leaned up and kicked my jeans off in some random direction as Damon left a few sporadic kisses on my ankle, up my legs and on the inside of my thigh. On the inside of my thigh he kissed me gently and nibbled on the sensitive flesh causing my hips to involuntarily buck towards him wanting to feel him closer to me. Damon chuckled lightly against my skin and quickly kissed his way back up my body to my lips. I bit his lip lightly and pushed my tongue into his waiting mouth as I wrapped my legs around his hips once again before he pushed us back to the mattress. My back smarted against the mattress as we both fell back and continued from where we had left off. I practically screamed in pleasure as I felt Damon's erection pressing familiarly against my heated core, I couldn't help biting into his shoulder at the sensation. He winced slightly but the slight pain only seemed to egg him on and give him more energy.

"_Eleeena_." Damon moaned clutching my sweat covered body to his. My mind was in a haze and I all I could think about was that I needed to come apart. I was a needy mess but Damon wasn't much different at the moment. Neither of us wasted a beat of time before fusing our lips together. We knew where this was going…anyone could see where this was going.

I pulled away slightly and grabbed Damon's face so he was staring into my lusty eyes. "I love you." I whispered softly in my lust laced voice. I needed to tell him this before anything else, I never wanted him to think I was using him just for his body or to just survive in this century, I wanted him to know that this was real for me.

"I love you too." Damon said instantly. I felt my passion heat up even more and we both went back to the heavy-petting, we were both so close to becoming as close as two people could be. I sighed and closed my eyes and relished in every sensation Damon gave me, this moment would change my life forever and for the first time I was begging for the change. My hands ran across Damon's smooth back and I could feel his powerful muscles ripping under my every touch. I sighed as Damon kissed me in the right place time and time again, it was like he could read my mind and I loved it. Goosebumps were all over my body and I felt like a babbling idiot as I moaned, groaned, and squealed to his every touch.

"Well this is awkward." An icy voice bit out from the doorway. "I must say I am shocked at how forward you are little girl, the future you come from must be some place." Katherine sighed brushing her nails lightly on the fabric of her dress as she glared at us from the doorway.

I felt my heart freeze as Damon and my little bubble was burst and reality came crashing back to the both of us. I ripped my hands away from Damon as he did the same with me and we both fumbled to untangle ourselves as quick as possible. We both looked at each other for a second before we turned and stared at Katherine in shock. I was breathing harder than I ever had in my life and I quickly looked around for my shirt trying to cover myself. I gulped and grabbed it from the end of the bed and quickly pulled it over my head so I would feel less exposed and I pulled my collar up slightly to hide Damon's love bite. My pants were somewhere else so finding those under Katherine's watchful eye was out of the question. _How was it possible I had forgotten about Katherine? Heh, oh yeah, Damon's tongue down my throat and hands all over my body had wiped my mind clean of anything but the pleasure he was making me feel. But now that I thought about it, was there some kind of conspiracy that involved breaking up our make-out sessions? Seriously, everyone was two for two when it came to interrupting our passionate moments. Technically it was almost three for three because Stefan had interrupted what I am guessing would have probably ended up becoming a make-out session. So seriously, what was going on?_

"How did you-?" Damon started to say before Katherine cut him off.

"How did I know she was here and alive?" Katherine said with a sneer. "Oh please, I could hear your moans and groans all the way from Carriage House outside. You two are not the quietest when it comes to love making." Katherine said snickering darkly.

"We-" I started.

"Weren't love making?" Katherine said shoving words into my mouth turning her cold eyes on me. "Well it sure looked and sounded like it, but no matter, you can deny it if you wish little _slut_." I felt my jaw drop and my blood boil in anger and rage. How dare she preach to me about being a slut! How dare she call me that! She didn't know me and she certainly had no right to say that. I wasn't the one that was sleeping with both brothers at once; I wasn't the one lying to them, compelling them, stringing them along. I didn't pin the brothers against each other for my own amusement, I brought them together. I wasn't even cheating because I had come to the conclusion that Stefan was my past and Damon was my future. For all I cared Stefan and I were broken up, ergo I was not cheating by being with Damon.

"Elena is no slut Katherine. I forbid you to-" Damon practically hissed before Katherine interrupted him. I felt my heart flutter in love at this statement; Damon was standing up for me and my honor. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently in thanks.

"Talk about her like that?" Katherine said sarcastically cutting Damon off coldly. "I do not care about her and what you think of her. That is not why I am here. Now to our other hand of business, it's a pity that someone is looking out for you on the other side." Katherine sighed dramatically turning to look at me with judgment radiating off of her in waves. "Oh well, I guess that just gives me the chance to try to kill you again." Katherine said letting her demonic features appear from below the surface. Her fangs clicked into place and glinted in the low light as I tensed waiting for her to attack me again, but this time I felt strong arms wrap around my frame in protection. I let out a slow breath and turned to peek at Katherine from under Damon's arm.

Katherine looked stunned as her step faltered and her demonic features melted away. "What are you doing?" Katherine hissed icily at Damon who was clutching me protectively to his chest. I held my breath and titled my head up slightly to stare into Damon's cobalt blue eyes; they were warm and set with determination.

"Keeping my promise." Damon whispered softly as he brushed a lock of hair from my face lovingly.

"Well isn't that touching?" Katherine sighed in sarcasm. "I guess I'll just have to kill the both of you then." She threatened taking another step toward us.

"You won't kill us." I said boldly as I turned to look at her coldly.

"And what makes you think that?" She hissed. "As you know I am a vampire and killing is second nature to me."

"I am well aware of that fact." I said internally shuddering. Katherine had made that fact very obvious tonight, but I guess I was just lucky that I had friends on the other side that pushed me back to the living. "You won't kill us because I know how you act and think, Katherine." I said boldly trying to sound more confident and powerful than I really felt. "Killing either of us would be stupid, because either way you lose." I said smiling as I pulled way from Damon's grip and slipped off the bed. Before I could get out of arms reach Damon followed me off the bed and wrapped his fingers around my wrist to keep me from getting any closer to Katherine. I stopped walking and turned to look at him and I saw concern flash across his face. We both made eye contact and as we stared at each other I urged him to trust me and let me take care of this situation.

"And why would you think that?" She hissed causing me to break eye contact with Damon and turn back to look at her furious face.

"Because I am no threat to you, I have information that could be beneficial to you, and killing me would hurt you in the long run!" I hissed trying to rein in my quickly growing temper, now was not the time to go ballistic on Katherine; right now I needed to be cool and calm if I was going to convince her to not kill me. "Listen, I know you don't like me, you don't like me later either; but I can help you _survive_. That's what you want isn't it? You want to survive, to get away from Klaus?" I watched Katherine stiffen and Damon turned to give me a quizzical look. "I know _everything_ about your future; I can tell you everything you need to know to keep yourself safe." I said smiling to myself in triumph knowing that I had just placed an offer on the table that she couldn't resist. "Like I said, it would be stupid to kill me or Damon, because if you kill Damon I will never tell you anything, and if you kill me I won't be able to tell you what I know."

I watched as Katherine pursed her lips at me and thought over my proposition. "This information you speak of, how exactly would I obtain it?" Katherine practically growled hating the fact that her human doppelganger was controlling her and she could do nothing about it.

I smirked and looked at Damon over my shoulder and saw he was currently staring at me like I was some sort of god. I turned back to Katherine and shrugged. "The terms I have come up with are simple enough." I said casually waiting for her to ask.

"I'm listening." Katherine hissed clenching her fingers slightly and glaring holes through me.

"First, you must never, under any circumstances, hurt me or give away any information about who I really am, where I come from, or what I know about the supernatural. Second, you must help me survive in this century. I am going to have to know how to dress, speak, and act, this will also involve you doing exactly as I say when it comes to a plan that will integrate me into Mystic Falls society. Last, you will never again try to seduce Damon."

At this statement Katherine smirked and raised an eyebrow at me. "Ah, so my doppelganger does have a bit of a weakness for the Salvatore brothers as well. Interesting." She said rocking back and forth on the tips of her feet on the other side of the room. The motion on anyone else would seem shy and sweet, but the flowing swing of Katherine's movements just made her seem more sinister.

"I am not done." I snapped glaring at Katherine. "You will not compel him, play with his emotions, or hurt him in any way."

"And what if he asks for me?" Katherine asked cocking her head to the side with an evil sneer.

"Then that is his decision." I murmured. "I am not taking away his free will; I am giving it back to him. If he wants to be with you again, that is his choice and it will be respected."

"You are awfully confident in your assumptions about Damon's feelings and what he wants for such a young and inexperienced girl that just met him."

I shrugged and pulled my hair behind my ear. "You'd be surprised by how well I know him."

"Hmmm." Was all Katherine said giving me a cold stare.

"Do we have a deal?" I asked calmly. I felt my heartbeat accelerate slightly because of the pressure I was under at the moment, but as I took a deep breath and tried to calm down I found it was having no affect. I panicked knowing that Katherine could hear my heartbeat, but before I could really begin to freak out I felt Damon weave his fingers though mine. I blinked and found him standing right next to me and with a reassuring squeeze I felt myself relax. I smiled and reminded myself that I would thank him for this later as I gently rubbed my thumb against the top of his hand in a silent thank you.

Katherine who had watched this whole event unfold frowned before letting out an angry and annoyed sigh. "If I were to help you survive in this century, what would I have to do?" She asked slowly and coldly as her eyes traveled over my face trying to scope out any weakness, but this time I would not get worked up, this time I would not give her the satisfaction of hearing my heart rate pick up in fear. Now that I really did have Damon by my side I felt more powerful and confident than ever.

"Like I said, you would have to go along with our plan and just keep acting like the innocent orphan you pretend to be. But, you would have to leave the Salvatore's alone until they came to you. No compulsion, no double crossing us, and no violence." I said sternly.

"You are asking some very bold things of me little wench." Katherine hissed clenching her hands together in annoyance.

"Maybe, but I know you would do anything to get the upper hand. And if you knew what would happen to you in the next 145 years, well, I'm sure that could be beneficial."

I watched as Katherine's face twitched in rage and irritation before she nodded slowly. "Alright, I agree to your terms, now tell me what I need to know."

"Ah, ah, ah, hold your horses Katherine, if I told you everything now then there would be no reason for you to keep me alive. I would lose my leverage. You are just going to have to be a good girl and wait patiently until I feel like telling you something."

"What?" Katherine screeched taking a threatening step towards me. I felt my heart clench but I quickly shook away my fear. I needed to be strong if I was going to be able to make Katherine do this.

"That is the way it is going to be, take it or leave it." I said as Katherine and I had a glaring contest. Finally, after probably a minute of glaring at each other and calling the other every single dirty word we could think of in our heads, Katherine to my surprise folded.

"I know I am going to regret this, but what do I need to do in this stupid plan of yours?" Katherine asked grudgingly as she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot roughly against the wood floor.

"I thought you'd never ask." I smirked turning towards Damon. "Tell away oh Master Planner." I teased quietly as I squeezed Damon's hand again. He smiled down at me and let out a deep breath before turning to look at Katherine.

"Here is what we are going to do…"

* * *

**And there we go, chapter 19. THE LONGEST CHAPTER I HAVE WRITTEN EVER! I am so proud of myself, this chapter ended up being around 13 pages and over 7,000 words, which is a huge record for me! I hope this super long and passionate chapter can make up for those few months where I fell off the face of the planet, take this as an apology. So, on another note, the widely sought after and long awaited plan will ensue soon everyone, are you excited? Did anyone feel bad for Damon early in the chapter? I know I did, poor baby went through so much emotional turmoil when he thought Elena died. :(**** Oh well, everything was good in the end. ;) I hope you all liked the making-out; it was probably the raciest piece I have written for any of my stories so I hoped it worked alright. I am very nervous about that portion so I hope it didn't offend anyone. I am experimenting and trying to figure out if I can eventually write a smut so this was kind of like a test run. So did I do okay for my first really hard-core making-out/almost sex description? They did NOT have sex in this chapter…just close to it. So please let me know if you want more of that or less of that in the story, I will try to oblige and go by what the fans want. Anyways, I hope that overall everyone enjoyed this chapter and will please tell me how I did and leave me a review. That is the only way I can get better and grow, plus your reviews mean so much to me! They are like brain food! The more I get the more passionately and quickly I write! So thank you so much for reading and **_**PLEASE REVIEW**_**! :)**

**-Lioness002**


	20. The Plan Set in Motion

**Hey everyone, I've got a new chapter for you to read, yay! I can't believe this story has reached 20 chapters already! It shocks me so much because I never thought I would write something so long…and it's even better because I know for a fact this story isn't even half way over, I wonder if I could hit 50 chapters. 0-o That would be so cool! ;) Haha, so in this chapter is the set-up of the plan! ****:)**** On another note, a lot of you want to see our Vampire Damon back (I know I do) but I am trying to figure out how to do that, because if I make him show up too soon it will make the plot really messy and confusing. I think that after the plan has been completed the Vampire Damon will return shortly after. Also, this chapter is from Human Damon's POV. So I hope you enjoy this new chapter and leave me a review! ****:)**** -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

**P.S. If you are going to leave me a rude comment that says a chapter sucks, please explain why you feel that way so I can try and fix it in the future. I'm a 16 year old girl with no writing training whatsoever, it's a given every chapter is not going to be exceptional. So please, if you don't like it, explain why and give me details to work off of so I can make the story better for you and me, and that way I can become a better writer in the long run. Thank you for understanding! ****:)**

* * *

"Are you going to be alright here by yourself?" I murmured to Miss Elena as we picked our way through the forest. The plan was about to be set in motion and everyone had their part to play. It had been about a week since Miss Elena had come back to life, and in that amount of time everyone, even Katherine, had pitched in to help integrate Miss Elena into our society. I had to pat myself on the back for this one, because the plan was sheer genius. Plus, no matter what anyone said, I wanted to protect Miss Elena at all costs.

Everything was set, the next counsel meeting was today at around mid day in the study of the estate. I knew this because my father had told Stefan to attend and Stefan had told me. Katherine had given Elena a new bite to make it appear as if she were attacked by a 'demon', as the counsel would say. I shook my head and held back a small shudder. I had been so afraid for Miss Elena, not that I had shown it to Katherine, but I did not trust her to not kill Elena. Before Katherine even got close to Elena, Elena reminded her that if she were to die then Katherine would never get her information. Katherine, who acted so spoiled and mighty, just let out a disgusted sigh and said she wanted to get this over with. So once Miss Elena had been marked with a new bite, Emily had performed her spell. The spell selected was some sort of illusion spell that would affect anyone that did not know Miss Elena's true identity and was not spelled themselves. So while I, Katherine, and Emily would see Elena as herself, everyone else would see a seventeen year old petite girl with blue eyes and blonde hair. The spell was ingenious, but risky because apparently the spell had to be cast multiple times or else it could start to fade. It was incredibly odd seeing Miss Elena with blonde hair and blue eyes for the brief period of time that I was not spelled, but it was still interesting all the same.

The more time that passed, the more I began to understand and learn about Miss Elena. These sudden revelations were however not solely due to the fact we were together all the time. While I had told her once that I had seen myself from the future just briefly, that was a bit of an understatement. The more time I spent with Elena and the more I fell in love with her, the more memories or visions of the future would surface. In the beginning the memories or feelings would come sporadically and be very weak, but now, the second I closed my eyes at night I would be assaulted with sensory sensations, feelings, and memories all revolving around Elena. What shocked me was that all my senses seemed so much clearer, crisper; I could smell her vanilla and strawberry scent like it was a tidal wave to my nose, the next second I could feel my own fingers itching to run through her chocolate locks, then I would be thrown into a full memory where I would be in my own body talking, or more accurately, yelling at Elena. These senses and memories confused me at times, but I decided that I might as well soak up as much information as I could so I could begin to learn even more about Miss Elena and her time.

"I'll be fine." Elena said picking up her new dress as she walked through the brush. We had been walking through the forest for about fifteen minutes at a very slow pace; this was due to the fact that Miss Elena kept stumbling. At first I thought her to be ill, but she reassured me that she was fine and that she would just need a bit of time to get used to the clothing from this time period.

"Everything will be fine; there is no need to worry." I said as we stopped at the planned location and Miss Elena sat down on a nearby log. I wanted to believe the words leaving my lips, but we would not know if Miss Elena was truly safe until later. Her safety all depended on how well we could all act and how the counsel reacted to her appearance. So really, this whole plan was a huge gamble. But I was okay with taking risks, no risk, no reward.

"I am not worrying." Miss Elena said sternly as she gave me a scathing look. "You do not need to baby me through this; I can take care of myself. I know what to do, when to do it, and how. You don't need to hover over my shoulder like you are expecting me to suddenly jump up and scream 'I'm from the future!'" She said crossing her arms over her chest and stubbornly turning her face away from me. "You baby me enough in the future as it is."

I did a double take and stared at her worriedly. Why was she being so distant and touchy about everything all of a sudden? I understood that she was stressed, but why was she taking it out on me? I had done nothing but help her since she got here. I suddenly froze and let my gaze scrutinize her face. She was turned away from me, closed off, angry. I gulped and tried to fight back the twinge of discomfort and doubt creeping into my mind and heart. _She didn't regret…no…she wouldn't…I…she…kissed…she said she…. _I shook my head and let out a deep breath, _now is not the time to be concerned about her feelings for me_. "I…I'm sorry, I did not mean to offend you." I murmured as my brow furrowed in confusion. I wanted her to look at me, open up to me, let me be there for her. "Miss Elena?" I asked softly as I walked cautiously over to her and sat down on the log. "Miss Elena, talk to me, please." I said rubbing the back of her hand that was on her lap with my thumb.

"I…" Elena chocked out before stopping and bowing her head. "I'm scared." She whispered softly as she turned to look at me. I softened instantly when I saw small tears rolling down her cheeks and falling into her lap. _Of course she is scared, good job jumping to conclusions and worrying about something unimportant Salvatore. I trust her…I love her, so why am I doubting her at the same time? _"I didn't mean to snap at you, you were just trying to comfort me. I just…I feel like I am losing myself. I don't know what I'm doing Damon." She sobbed quietly.

"Don't worry Miss Elena, I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." I murmured wrapping her tightly and protectively in my arms which caused her to sigh contently and nestle her head into my neck. I relaxed with her in my embrace and rested my head on top of her as I stroked her arm gently. I had never been one for relationships, I had never been one for marriage, the idea and concept had never really seemed important to me at this age. Maybe it was because I was young, or maybe because I had too much fun being single, but I know something now, I would gladly stay with Elena forever. She is the only person that has made me feel special, important, and whole. Katherine excited me, challenged me, and brought out my dark side, but Elena did a lot of that too. She excited me with her innocent sweetness, her laugh, her optimism, she challenged me to become a better man, and best of all, she brought out the best in me. She cared for others more than herself, and she cared for me which was a feat all in itself. Ever since Mother died, I lost that feeling of being loved, cherished, and important. With Elena I feel all of that and so much more. She can't even begin to understand how much she means to me, but I intend to show her in some way. She means the world to me now, and she means _everything_ to me later. "I promised I would keep you safe didn't I?" I chuckled kissing the top of her head.

"Yeah, I guess you did." She giggled into my neck. After a few moments of silence Elena sighed and gently kissed the side of my neck. I smiled and squeezed her closer to me slightly.

"What was that for?"

"For being amazing, for protecting me, for loving me." She whispered pulling away from me and placing a hand on my cheek. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't here. So thank you." She said earnestly. Her eyes were still watery from the tears, but they were strong, full of determination and love. "Thank you." She whispered again as she flung her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. I lightly wrapped my arms around her and inhaled her unique scent, strawberries and vanilla.

In the distance the town clock town rung once, twice, three times. The birds within range burst from the trees, cawing in anger and in fear as they flew away to find another place to rest safely. Once the raucous died down I sighed and pulled Elena away from me sadly. "It's three o'clock, I have to go." I said standing up and turning to look at her sadly. I didn't want to leave her here alone, but I had no choice.

She nodded and wiped her eyes. "Of course. Just don't be long, I might miss you." Miss Elena said as she tried to give me a teasing smile but it turned out as more of a grimace.

I stepped forward and reached out to hesitantly stroke her cheek. My pulse spiked slightly at the feel of her smooth skin underneath my fingertips. Miss Elena was so warm in comparison to Katherine, and that was in both the physical and emotional aspects of her character. "I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone." I murmured reassuringly as I gave her my trademark smirk in hopes that she would smile. To my pleasure, Elena did smile in response to my teasing. _Works every time. _I thought cockily as I took a small step away from Miss Elena. This plan had a very limited time frame and if I was to get Stefan, return to forest and 'find' Elena, then return back to the house during the counsel meeting, I had to leave now. "There's no need to worry." I said one last time before I took another step away from Elena and started running for the house.

* * *

Once I arrived back at the estate I quickly ran up the front steps and into the house to locate Stefan. I walked through a few extravagant rooms before I saw Cordelia out of the corner of my eye tidying up the dinning area. I stopped and turned into the dinning room.

"Cordelia!" I called slowing my movements so I would look relaxed and inconspicuous. I walked into the dinning room and stared at her for moment as she finished up her cleaning. She lightly hummed to herself as she opened up the curtains and turned to wipe down the mahogany table that was littered with crumbs from breakfast earlier in the morning.

"Yes Master Damon?" She asked as she ran a wet cloth over the dinning table one last time before she ran a finger across the table and nodded in approval at the cleanliness. She then sighed, snapped the cloth once, twisted it so it would fit into her apron and turned to me. "What can I assist you with?" She asked calmly as she clasped her hands in front of her and stared at me evenly.

"Would you happen to know the whereabouts of my brother?"

"Yes Master Damon, your brother is currently reading in the study." She said quietly.

"Thank you kindly Cordelia." I said turning on my heel and heading for the study. I walked through the halls ignoring anything and everything that could distract me, I was on a mission and I could not slack off. But Before I reached the study a hand clapped roughly onto my shoulder and stopped me in my tracks.

"Damon." The voice said harshly. In internally flinched and took a deep breath.

"Yes, Father." I bit out as I turned around slowly. I was fighting the urge to glare at him, but right now I needed to stay calm. I didn't need him getting angry at me and ruining the whole entire plan. "Do you need something?" I asked letting out a deep breath and clenching my fists behind my back.

"I am just here to inform you that a Counsel Meeting will be held here today."

"I am aware, but what does that have to do with me?" I asked calmly. Father narrowed his eyes at me and clenched his jaw as his face turned a light shade of red from rage.

"Not much considering you have disgraced this family with your lack of commitment! Why can't you be more like your brother!" He barked out slamming a fist onto the table next to me. My head tilted to the side and I watched the vase full of new flowers topple over splashing water all over the wall and floor, along with the mirror above the table that rattled and bumped against the wall twice. Father's fingers were twitching in irritation, his body was ridged, his face was twisted into a harsh frown, and his breath held an undertone of hard liquor, I knew what was coming next.

"If I was more like Stefan then I would please you, and I don't want to make you happy or proud. And you know why?" I asked as I laughed bitterly. "Because even if I acted just like Stefan, if I act like a model son, did as you ask, kissed butt whenever I could, soaked in your bullshit wisdom, you would still hate me. You've hated me your whole life for no reason, so I gave up trying to win your affection a long time ago." I sneered. "I figured out there was more to life than what you say there is, and I realized I'm glad you hate me." I said smiling cruelly at my father who was livid with rage, but I didn't stop, I needed to get this off my chest. At least this way he would think everything was normal, his eldest son still hated his guts. "Because with you hating me I don't have to live up to your expectations, I can do as I please, I can live my own life, I don't have to be your slave like Stefan is. At least you have him to make up for me, the unruly and disgraceful son of the Salvatore family." I hissed narrowing my eyes. Father practically growled before his hand whipped out and connected hard with my cheek. My teeth rattled as my head smacked to the side, but I stayed deathly silent as I turned back to look at him. I let out a long breath and stared coldly at him, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of showing any pain.

"You ungrateful bastard! You are a disgrace to this family!" My Father shouted throwing his arms into the air.

"What's new?" I snapped.

"You're a disgrace to your Mother." My Father said coldly as he gave me a sinister sneer, he knew that out of everything he said this would hurt me the most. "You are such a waste! You should have died instead of her; her death was _your_ fault!" My father screamed slamming me across the face once again. "If only you had died when everyone thought you would, then your mother would have lived and she could have grown old to be proud of Stefan. But instead of being proud of a model son like Stefan, she got _you_ as a son for the majority of her life." I felt the air in my lungs freeze as I stared at the man that I was supposed to call Father. I tried to breathe normally but my lungs had stopped working, my brain had stopped functioning, and my heart was shattering. _How dare he mention mother! How dare he say it was my fault she died! How dare he make it seem like I was a burden to her! She loved me with all of her heart. How dare he!_

After I stood staring at him for the longest while, my Father snorted and shook his head. "Just stay away from the Counsel Meeting today, I don't want you ruining the Salvatore name any more than you already have." My father spat glaring at me. "Is that clear?"

"Crystal." I snarled gritting my teeth and biting my tongue to keep my raging temper under control. I didn't need to make him anymore angry than he already was.

"Good." My father said nodding as if nothing had just happened. "Now, carry on doing whatever it is you do, wasting your life most likely." He said shuffling away from me and heading upstairs.

I growled in the back of my throat and turned around in the hallway wanting to punch something, I settled for the mirror. My right fist whipped out and connected with the tarnished glass and I smiled in satisfaction as I heard the glass shatter. I snarled in rage and punched the mirror with my other hand, once again trying to keep myself from screaming and trying to keep the tears from streaming down my cheeks. I glowered at my shattered reflection and looked down at my hands to see my knuckles bleeding freely. Funny, I hadn't even noticed.

"What had happen - Oh my!" Cordelia gasped rushing into the hallway and seeing the smashed mirror covered in my blood. "Master Damon - what? Let me tend to-"

"No, leave me." I snapped turning away from her and rushing up to my room. Once inside my room I grabbed the basin on the table across from the bottom of the bed and filled it with water. I hissed in pain as I submerged my hands and dislodged a few pieces of stray glass. _How I wish Miss Elena was here to take care of me again_. I thought darkly as I wiped my hands with the towel covered in splotches of blood. I dried my hands, sighed, and examined my hands for a second before I concluded that there were just a few scratches that would heal in about a week or so.

After I crudely bandaged my hands with pieces of ripped cloth, I left my room and continued in my search for Stefan.

Once I finally arrived in the study I saw Stefan was curled into a ball and reading a book of poetry in one of the leather chairs. His head and face were bent over the book as his forehead was puckered with concentration. My baby brother was so predictable it hurt sometimes. I chuckled to myself and leaned against the doorway and rapped my knuckles lightly on the door before I hissed in slight pain. I had to be more careful for a while. Stefan jolted slightly and his emerald gaze flicked up to see who had interrupted his peace.

"Damon!" Stefan exclaimed brightly. "What brings you to the study? Surly you are not here to read." He said poking fun at me and my lack of interest in poetry and educational books. Literature was fine by me; it just had to have substance, none of the frilly metaphor stuff.

"Well, since you ask Stefan, I am here looking for you." I said giving him my teasing smirk. _Come on Stefan we have to make this quick, Father's interruption has put me a bit behind schedule and we can't have any mishaps._

"Me?" He asked curiously.

"Yes." I stated simply. "Let's go for a ride, it has been ages since we have ridden together. We need time to catch up and talk, because I am sure you have many stories to relay to me about everything I missed while I was absent at war." I said walking over to Stefan, taking his book away, marking the page, and placing it onto the table next to him. "The weather is acceptable," I said turning to look at the overcast sky through the window, "the time is right, and I must get you out of this stuffy house. Plus, I am sure Mezzanotte misses you." I said wiggling my eyebrows at my brother.

Stefan gave me a wide grin, popped up from the chair, and stretched. "While I love your idea, I must ask, what has you in such good spirits all of a sudden? I heard your argument with Father." Stefan said lowering his voice and his head. I gulped softly and let out a soft sigh.

"That's nothing to worry about Stefan; you need to relax a bit. Everyone's problems are not _your_ problems, remember that. You don't need to fix everything for everyone." I said walking over to him and giving him a friendly tap on the shoulder. "Now come on, let's go riding." When Stefan hesitated for a brief second I smirked to myself and messed with his hair. "Race you to the stables!" I yelled as I lightly knocked into Stefan and bolted out of the study.

"Hey!" Stefan called as I heard him scramble after me. "Unfair! Wait up!"

I chuckled under my breath and propelled myself forward through the house, over the porch, across the gravel, into the field, past the garden, past the carriage house, and towards the stables. Colors zipped by me in lazy streaks as my feet pounded against the ground and knee high grass waved in the wind. From behind me I heard Stefan panting, trying to catch up to me. _Poor kid needs to stop reading his darn books and get outside more._ I mused as I turned to smirk at Stefan over my shoulder.

"Gotta be faster than that if you wanna catch me." I chuckled triumphantly as I got the stable in my sights. Stefan groaned from behind me as I quickly closed the distance between the stable and myself and I touched the weathered door. He let out a defeated sigh and skidded to a halt to catch his breath. I smirked, let the weathered door squeak open, and stepped inside.

"Next time Damon, I will get you." Stefan panted walking by me and into Mezzanotte's stable to get her ready. I heard him rustle around in the stall for a moment as he got his gear ready before I chuckled and went into my horses stall.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." I smirked as I patted Crepuscolo softly and got him ready for the ride.

After we both got our horses squared away, we left the stables and trotted towards the forest. We both trotted next to each other and just enjoyed the silent company for a while. I soaked in the sights, the smells, and the sounds of home; they were all so different than the violence and hectic-ness of war. Before I could delve deeper into my depressed thoughts, Stefan sighed contently and stirred me back to reality.

"This is nice Damon." Stefan chuckled as he patted Mezzanotte's neck affectionately. Stefan was so naïve when it came to life, he had no idea he was being manipulated and being used as a pawn in our plan. In all honesty I did not want to lie to my brother, but since he had never met Miss Elena we couldn't take any chances. Stefan was a terrible actor, I knew this fist hand considering I always covered for him when something got broken in the house or we got in trouble, so his reaction to Miss Elena had to be real. Stefan had to believe she was some stranger that had been attacked in the woods, because if he didn't the plan was sure to fail. So for everyone's sake I forced a grin onto my face and chuckled warmly at Stefan.

"Well, I thought that since we haven't done this since before I went off to war, it might make for a nice day."

"I'm glad you thought so, because I so enjoy being in your presence." Stefan yapped away happily. While in all honesty I had wanted to spend some time with my baby brother and catch up, that was not top priority at the moment. As Stefan and I exchanged small stories back and forth the forest loomed closer and closer to us. Finally, after what felt like hours, both Stefan and I trooped under the first trees and into the forest. The horse's hooves thumped softly against the forest floor as Stefan and I looked around.

"It's so quiet." Stefan whispered as he looked around wide eyed. "Almost like the church." He said gulping quietly. I turned to look at him for a moment and I saw his face was stoic.

"Are you alright?" I found myself whispering. He was right, there really was no sound, no bugs, no birds, no breeze even traveling through the trees.

"Yeah, I just have a strange feeling about the forest today, like something bad is going to happen." When his green eyes met mine and he saw my skepticism he snorted. "Probably just some jitters from fathers constant talk of demons." He mumbled quietly as he tightened Mezzanotte's reins slightly.

"Probably." I said turning to look ahead of me. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a bloodcurdling scream shook the forest. Mezzanotte and Crepuscolo reared up in shock before coming back down and stamping the ground hard with their feet. At first my instinct was to be afraid, to be worried, but I reminded myself that it was just Elena fulfilling her portion of the plan. Even so, her scream had unsettled me and I turned to look at Stefan with fake fear mixed with real fear.

"What was that!" Stefan exclaimed flabbergasted.

"I don't know." I lied smoothly.

Again a scream traveled through the forest followed by a sudden, "Help me! Please somebody help! Ple-" Before the voice, Elena's voice, was cut off.

"It came from this way!" I yelled to Stefan as I urged Crepuscolo to get to Elena. I heard Stefan riding right behind me as we raced through the forest and into the clearing where Elena should have been. My eyes scanned for her but Stefan saw her first.

"There." He exclaimed pointing to her body half hidden by shadows. I quickly jumped off of Crepuscolo and raced to her side. Even if this whole situation was fake, it didn't help reassure me that she was really safe considering that her neck was bleeding and her clothes were coated is dust and blood. _Man, we really made this look believable. _"Well?" Stefan called anxiously as he scanned the surrounding forest for any signs of the attacker. I placed my fingers to Elena's neck for show and felt her steady heartbeat underneath my touch.

"She's alive!" I yelled to Stefan.

"Then we must get her back to the house!" Stefan said with wide eyes as he tried to calm Mezzanotte down. "She's been attacked! The counsel will want to hear about this."

"Right." I yelled over my shoulder as I picked her up bridal style, slipped her onto Crepuscolo, held her there, and then jumped on myself. As Stefan turned around and started galloping back to the house I looked down to see Miss Elena looking at me through slit eyes. "You're doing great, keep it up." I whispered pulling her body to mine and situating us on Crepuscolo. She smiled faintly at me before closing her eyes and pretending to be passed out once again. "Come on Crepuscolo!" I called as I spurred him forward and he took off for the house. Part one of the plan was complete; we faked the meeting of Miss Elena and had Stefan as an eye witness. Now for the hard part, facing the counsel and convincing them to let Miss Elena stay.

* * *

**And there is chapter 20 everyone, yay! A lot happened in this chapter, huh? Originally I didn't plan on that, but the words and story just flowed out of me and I had no choice but to write it all down. I am apologizing now as the author that I had to hurt Damon, I didn't like it, but it fits with the story. Anyway, all of this is why Damon hates his father's guts later. Next chapter is the rest of the plan and hopefully integrating Elena into the society. Fingers crossed. And as a bit of a tease, a certain blue eyed vampire may be making an appearance next time, so stay tuned. ;) So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because it was a bugger to write. So, if you liked it, loved it, or even hated it, leave me a review and let me know how I did. Thanks for reading and please review! ****:)**** Thanks! -Lioness002**


	21. Thank You Honoria Fell

**Haha, I am on a role! Two chapters within an okay distance of each other, yes! Yay summer! ****:)**** So here is chapter 21 and the rest of the plan being set in motion. Trust me, writing this was killer. I think I am brain dead. :/ But on the bright side, there may be a bit of our favorite Vampire in this chapter. ;) So, everyone please be super kind and leave me a review telling me how I did after you are done reading, it would be very much appreciated! So thanks and I hope you enjoy! -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

"Father! Father come quickly!" I shouted bursting into the manor with wide and scared eyes. Servants gasped and stopped in their tracks at the sight of a strange girl splattered in blood hanging limply in my arms. I silently took a breath and gently squeezed Elena in reassurance, this would work, it had to. "Father!" I yelled again hobbling towards the study where I knew the Counsel Meeting was being held. I bit my tongue and continued my charade. Even if I didn't want to be within miles of my father at the moment, I needed him to see Miss Elena.

When I heard rummaging and rustling on the other side of the door, I glanced down to Miss Elena to see that her eyes were shut tighter than before and she had forced herself to become limp in my arms. The study door burst open and I grimaced knowing that my 'Father' was about to walk out of the room and pretend to be a caring and concerned father. I wished that just once he would slip up and go another round with me in front of the company, then they all would look at him a little differently. I mean, he did specifically tell me to stay away from the meeting at all costs, so me bursting in with a half dead girl in my arms would not go over well. I smirked to myself and couldn't help the laughter that flooded through my mind at the irony of the situation. It serves you right Father. You deserve for your special meeting to be ruined, to be made a fool of, to look like an old crock. Quiet murmuring floated out of the study as chair legs were scrapped across the wood floor and about five men and women began to file out of the room to see what was happening outside. When movement stopped, I knew that all of the counsel had gathered into a tight nit group outside the study. They were all whispering amongst each other trying to figure out what was happening as I stood holding Miss Elena in my arms. I sucked in a deep breath and repositioned Miss Elena in my arms as I stared coldly at my father. We made brief eye contact before my gaze clouded with fear and I took a hurried step toward all the counsel members. Everyone gasped and took tentative steps away from me at the sight of Miss Elena half dead in my arms.

"What is the meaning of this interruption Damon?" My father roared as his face turned red with rage. A vein in his temple was throbbing and his arms were crossed harshly across his chest as he glared at me, at the moment, he looked like the epitome of an abusive father. When Giuseppe's eyes landed on Miss Elena, his demeanor changed quickly and his face paled slightly. "What has happened?" He asked in disgust as he looked at me with a vile glare. I bit my lip and kept my calm, of course he would think I had caused Miss Elena all this pain and injury. He probably thought that Elena was some prostitute gone wrong and that I was up to something by bringing her in during the meeting. His guessing probably wasn't 100% wrong, but the least he could do is trust me to not ruin his and my own life. I could tell the wheels in his head were turning just by the way he was looking from Miss Elena to me with cruel skepticism.

"I don't know!" I said in a rush as I quickly carried Miss Elena by man after man and placed her on the sofa in the study where everyone had been moments before. "I was riding in the forest with Stefan and then we both heard a woman scream. When we got there we found her like this." I said turning around to stare at everyone as if asking for any of them to challenge my story. "She needs medical attention." I said worriedly as I gently maneuvered her body into a comfortable position without touching her too much. The Counsel and town would not take kindly to me touching a woman familiarly, so after she was situated I stepped back quickly. The point of this operation was to make it so Miss Elena could stay in town without drawing attention, not to have the town butting in on Elena's history and information because I messed up the plan on a technicality.

"Where is all the blood coming from?" Major Lockwood asked curiously, as he looked around the room from man to man. He didn't even care that a seventeen-year-old girl could be dying in front of him; all he wanted to know was if this was a demon attack. I wanted to be angry and snap at these old, pompous, and self-righteous men for their lack of hearts, but I bit my tongue.

"Her neck." I deadpanned knowing that the second I said this everyone would pay this attack much more attention. To my amusement, the room went dead silent in a matter of seconds; you could hear a pin drop. "If I had to guess what attacked her, I would say it was a demon." I said pushing my hands into my pockets. "Her only wound was on her neck, and she doesn't seem to be from around here. I don't know her, so that means she is a stranger, and that also means she would not have known about the demons. She was caught unaware." I concluded simply. Everyone in the room mumbled their agreement and I had to keep myself from sneering in my father's direction. However, not to long after I said the word demon, Elena shuddered and let out a strangled moan. Her fingers that had been limp seconds before were curled into claws and she was shaking so hard she looked like she would fall to pieces. Her reactions and mannerisms were so realistic that it almost pained me to see her in this state. I wanted to rush to her, scoop her into my arms and soothe away all of her fear and suffering, but I couldn't.

"She needs medical attention before we badger her." Honoria said calmly as she took a sip from her cup of tea. "She's no use to us insane or dead."

"Where's Stefan?" My father grumbled interrupting Honoria. I turned to the middle-aged woman and saw her forehead pucker in irritation. I felt bad for Honoria at times, even thought she was on the counsel, most of the time they did not give her the time of day until she demanded attention. I respected Honoria even if she was a Fell; she was usually the grace, brains, and guide of the counsel. "I want to hear what happened from him as well." My father continued single-mindedly.

I internally scoffed at my father and gently shook my head so I would not draw attention to myself. Of course my father wouldn't take my word on Miss Elena, he would only believe me if his precious Stefan backed up my story. "He's in the stables putting the horses away." I said as I walked over to the windows and saw Stefan run across the grass with the horses and bolt into the stables. "I got here with the girl as quickly as I could and Stefan took care of the small details. He should be here soon." I murmured turning back around to look at my father.

"Good." Father said tersely as he pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it for a moment. "Dr. Janes should still be reachable." Father said murmuring more to himself than anyone else.

"A brilliant idea Mr. Salvatore." Mr. Lockwood said turning around to look at all of the men, and one woman, sitting in the room. Surrounding the room there was about five men and women, Father, Honoria Fell, Jonathan Gilbert, Mayor Lockwood, and Sheriff Forbes. "Dr. Janes will be able to give us all of the details we need to know about this attack."

"And make sure the girl is all right." Honoria added in snippily as she glared at Mr. Lockwood. She knew her input had just been ignored, and Honoria did not take being ignored lightly.

"Yes, of course, that too Honoria." Jonathan soothed from his spot next to the fireplace. "The girl will be the main priority."

"He's right, who knows what this girl could tell us? She may even be able to identify her attacker! Wouldn't that be a godsend for us?" Mr. Forbes interjected thoughtfully.

"Yes, it would be." My father sighed. "Cordelia!" My father yelled calling for one of our servants.

"Yes Master Salvatore?" She called briskly walking into the room. She looked around the room with her eyes, but when her gaze landed on Miss Elena, her face paled slightly. She gasped quietly before my father grabbed her attention.

"Cordelia, take the carriage into town and quickly get Dr. Janes." My Father urged grabbing a quill, dipping it in ink, and scribbling furiously on a piece of parchment. The only sound in the room was Elena's faked shallow breathing and the quick scratching of my fathers quill until he grunted and folded the piece of parchment. "Give this to him, it will explain everything."

"Yes Sir!" She said curtsying and taking the note before quickly leaving the room. Soft murmurs broke out across the room and I stayed to the shadows. I would only speak if I was questioned directly.

Once Cordelia had left the room, everyone continued in his or her questioning and pondering. "These demons do not usually hunt during the day or hunt humans for fear of being exposed, they must be getting desperate." Mr. Forbes said seriously, as he ran his fingers through his graying hair.

"How did they go out and attack her in the first place?" Mayor Lockwood urged slamming his hand onto the table and looking at everyone in turn. "They are creatures of the darkness! Not the light!"

"The overcast weather combined with the shady coverage from the trees would be enough protection from the sunlight to allow them to walk around freely." Johnathan said rubbing his face and sighing. "The poor girl had no idea what was coming. She obviously is not from around here like Damon suggested, so she had no idea to be wary of being alone, especially in the forest."

"Are we to assume she knows nothing about what is going on here? She could be a demon spy." Mayor Lockwood said eyeing her critically and giving me a probing look. I flinched on the inside but I kept my cool on the outside. _Keep it together Damon, we are almost there. Stay strong Miss Elena. _I thought projecting my strength and hope towards Miss Elena.

"Now that is preposterous Mayor! You know a demon cannot enter any residence without being invited in, and Damon did not invite her in. Did you?"

"No Ma'am, I did not. I just carried her into the house and brought her here." I said smoothly as I looked innocently around the room.

"You see?" Honoria said shaking her head. "You all do not know this poor girl and automatically you think she is an enemy? She obviously is not a demon! You all are getting paranoid in your old age." She scoffed folding her hands in her lap and resting her steely gaze on everyone.

"With good reason." Jonathan mumbled under his breath. Honoria's head snapped to scrutinize Jonathan with a dark expression but she made no comment.

"Getting back on topic." Mr. Forbes said clearing his throat. "What are we going to do with her?"

No one got to state their ideas on that subject because that second Cordelia swept into the room followed closely by Dr. Janes and Stefan. "Good of you to call me Giuseppe. Where is the girl you mentioned in the note?" He asked pushing his glasses up the bridge of his boney nose.

"Here." Father said stepping away from the couch so Dr. Janes could get a good look at Miss Elena. Giuseppe slid away and came to stand next to my brother who looked shell-shocked. Father whispered something to Stefan, wrapped his arm around his shoulder, and gave him an affectionate pat. I fought back the bile in the back of my throat and focused on Dr. Janes and Miss Elena. _Of course he would comfort Stefan, the favorite._

"All of you get out." Dr. Janes ordered as he pointed towards the door. "Everything I know will be relayed to you." He said as groups of men and Honoria began to file out of the room. I hesitantly began to get up but the doctor stopped me in my tracks. "Wait, Damon, you stay." I stopped and turned to look at the elderly man in question. Inside I felt myself relax, this was perfect, this made it so I could stay with Miss Elena and make sure everything went over smoothly. "Damon," he said pointing towards me as he opened up his medical bag, "draw the curtains."

"Yes sir." I said moving towards the wide windows and pulling on the three sets of cords so the drapes fell into place and cast the room in semi-darkness.

"You and Stefan stay as well Giuseppe."

"Of course." Father said calmly as he went to the study door and closed it with a quiet click.

"You found her in the woods you say? With lacerations to her neck?" Dr. Janes asked as he pulled a vile of some kind out of his bag.

"That's right. My brother and I were riding in the woods when we heard someone scream. We both rode as fast as we could and we found her like this." Stefan said gulping softly and averting his gaze from the blood on Miss Elena's neck.

"Well, the girl is lucky there was someone around when she was attacked. If you both had been five minutes away, she could have ended up dead." He mumbled grabbing Miss Elena's limp wrist and placing his fingers on her pulse point. We all stayed silent for a while until Dr. Janes nodded his white haired head and released her wrist.

"Really? How's that?" My father asked for show.

"Well," Dr. Janes said pulling a sterile cloth out of his bag and soaking a small section of it in alcohol, "considering the bite is to the neck, she could have bleed out before anyone found her." He said rubbing the white cloth on Elena's neck so he could clear the blood away and sterilize the wound slightly. "Just as I suspected, two symmetrical holes." Dr. Janes mumbled stuffing the soiled cloth in his bag and pulling out some clean cloth and cotton. "Looks like the work of another coyote." Dr. Janes said giving my father a pointed look.

"There's no need to play charades Dr. Janes, my boys are both very aware of the demons." Father said proudly as he puffed out his chest.

"Oh, very good. Did the two of you know this was a demon attack when you found her?" Dr. Janes asked turning his murky brown eyes to Stefan and me.

"We had our suspicions. The attack was too similar to that of Rosalyn's to overlook." I said in a matter of fact kind of way. At the mention of Stefan's recently deceased bride-to-be, Stefan closed his eyes and sighed. "That was why we hurried her here as fast as possible. We did not want a repeat of what happened to poor Rosalyn."

"May god rest her soul." Stefan interjected softly.

"Yes, well, this young lady will not be joining our recently deceased Miss Cartwright anytime soon. This girl is a fighter, she is a strong one. Her pulse is steady, her breathing seems uninhibited, and the bite is not deadly. With a little bit of rest, relaxation, and care, she should be as good as new in no time." Dr. Janes said as he placed pieces of cotton over the wound and wrapped a few pieces of cloth around her slender neck. "Has she come too yet?"

"Not to my knowledge. Was she conscious when you found her, Damon?" Stefan asked quizzically.

"Well, her eyes were open for a second before she passed out, but she never said anything."

"And when was this?" Dr. Janes asked trying off the pieces of cloth so Miss Elena's bandage was complete.

"A little over an hour ago I believe." Stefan said scratching his head.

"Then she should be waking up soon. Could you bring me some water for the girl; a cool washcloth to the forehead will do her some good."

"Right away. Cordelia!" My Father yelled across the house. We waited in silence for a few moments before Cordelia entered the room. She smoothed her hands down the front of her grey dress and pulled her frizzy grayish blonde hair behind her ear.

"Yes sir?"

"Bring a basin of water and a cloth for Dr. Janes."

"Right away." She said curtsying and exiting the room. There was only a few moments of silence where I sat watching Dr. Janes observe Miss Elena before Cordelia returned. "Here you are sir." She said handing the basin and water pitcher to Dr. Janes.

"Thank you kindly. That will be all." Dr. Janes mumbled pouring the water into the basin and dipping the cloth in. As he did this, he raised the dripping cloth, gently grabbed Miss Elena's chin, and opened her mouth. He held the cloth above her mouth and let the water trickle into her mouth and drip down her chin before he rang out the cloth in the basin, folded it, and placed the damp cloth on Miss Elena's forehead. Cordelia turned to Father and he nodded letting her know that she was free to leave.

As Cordelia left, I turned back to Miss Elena and saw that her eyes were slowly opening. "Where am I?" Elena coughed bringing a shaking hand to her mouth so she could wipe away the excess water. As she looked around and realized that she did not know where she was, she cowered back into the corner of the couch and looked around the room fearfully.

"Veritas Estate, Miss. The Salvatore home." Dr. Janes murmured in a soothing and caring tone. "Now, can you tell me your name and where you come from?" Dr. Janes probed gently. My Father and everyone in the room seemed to lean forward in their seats to hear and get a better view of this strange new girl.

"My name is Elena…and I'm from here in Virginia." She said looking at everyone in the room. When her gaze landed on Stefan, he smiled gently at her and gave her a warm look. Unbeknownst to Stefan, I shot a small frown in his direction. _You have Miss Pierce, stay away from Miss Elena. _I thought bitterly as my grip tightened on my knee.

"Good. Now, where is your family Miss Elena?" Dr. Janes asked with worry furrowing his brow.

"My family? They're not here." Elena said starting her story just as we had planned.

"Where are they?" My father interrupted from the other side of the room with a small frown. Miss Elena gulped and tried to continue her story, but the emotion was too much and she burst into tears. Everyone in the room flinched back and looked from one person to the other. Stefan looked at me in shock and I just shrugged like I didn't know anything. _Man, she is a convincing crier_. I thought to myself as I watched tears cascade down her cheeks. "Why are you crying?" My father asked quickly. He looked so out of his element, he had never been good with tears, emotion, or girls in general.

"Because they're dead, they're all dead." She whimpered into her hands as she continued to sob. I had to grip the chair I was sitting in to keep myself on the other side of the room; I hated to see her cry, even if they were faked tears.

"What? How?" As my father continued to pester her, all she did was cry harder.

"Mr. Salvatore, now does not seem like the appropriate time. Miss Elena, could you calm down enough to answer a few simple questions for us?" Dr. Janes said patting her hand in a very fatherly sort of way. Dr. Janes is at least in his sixties at this point, he is a grandfather with at least six grandchildren. He was even there when I was born twenty-three years ago. He has a very comfortable, friendly, and trustworthy old man vibe.

Elena sniffed and nodded. "Yes." She said down casting her eyes.

"Good." He said nodding. "Now, Miss Elena, can you tell me what happened to you today in the woods?"

"The woods?" She repeated in a small voice.

"Yes, can you remember what happened in the woods? Anything at all?"

"The-the woods? I remember traveling and then coming here, but after that I-I can't remember. There are flashes of images or something…but they make no sense to me." She whispered curling her knees to her chest. "I'm sorry, you all seem to want to know something from me, but…but, I just can't…."

"Shhh, that's not a problem Miss Elena. Just give it some time. You have experienced something incredibly traumatic; your mind simply does not want to deal with the consequences at the moment. You will remember what happened in time and when you are ready. Just relax. We will find you somewhere to stay and you will be taken care of."

"I want to stay with him." She whispered pointing a shaky finger in my direction. "He saved me…right?" She asked turning wide and frightful eyes to my father. Elena sat wringing her hands and letting her eyes dart around the faces in the room before her gaze returned to my Father.

"Well…yes Miss, but I am not sure if you staying here is-"

Elena started shaking her head and I saw her bottom lip begin to wobble as she held back tears. My Father's eyes widened and he turned to look at Dr. Janes. "We will cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, you need to rest. Do you have any hard liquor Giuseppe?"

"In the cabinet there." He said pointing to the case with glass plates in the doors.

"Ah!" Dr. Janes said as he pulled a bottle of hard liquor out. He looked around the area for a moment before his gaze landed on one of the tumblers. He pulled the crystal plug off the top of the bottle and poured a generous portion into the glass. "Miss Elena, this will help soothe you, it will also help you sleep." He said holding the glass out to her. Miss Elena took the glass in shaking hands, brought the lip of the glass to her mouth, and took a small sip. Her nose wrinkled and she let out a small cough, but she continued to drink until it was gone. "Good." Dr. Janes said taking back the glass. "You should rest now."

"Yes sir. Thank you very much." She mumbled smoothing her soiled dress. "Thank you everyone, I don't what would have happened to me if…" Elena let the statement trail off and she bit her lip.

"Just rest for now. We will fill you in on all the details later." Giuseppe said as Elena's eyes began to grow droopy and she yawned. She nodded and got slightly more comfortable on the couch. "Cordelia will bring you some blankets and pillows soon. For now, sleep without any worry."

"Thank you again, you all are very kind."

"It's the least we can do." Stefan chipped in smiling. "Welcome to Mystic Falls Miss Elena."

* * *

With Miss Elena effectively passed out in the study, it gave the counsel enough time to discuss the events that had occurred today in detail. Dr. Janes left a few moments ago after thanking Father for his flexibility and giving him a piece of parchment that dictated how to take care of Miss Elena. Someone also needed to change Miss Elena's bandages twice a day to make sure infection did not set in. He also said he would be back in a few days to check on her. Father, Stefan and I were in the study with blankets and pillows for Miss Elena to use until further notice. Once she was situated with her new blankets and pillows, she fell asleep instantly. Father nodded at us, and after seeing that Stefan left the room, Father followed closely behind him. I slowed my steps and held back so I could be left alone with Miss Elena for a brief moment. I used this stolen time to crouch down to Miss Elena's level and smile wistfully at her. I checked the door to make sure no one was there, before I gently stroked her soft cheek and kissed her forehead. When I pulled away, my eyes tracked over her sleeping form and I saw her lips twitch into a small smile as she burrowed her head deeper into a goose feather pillow. "Sleep well." I murmured before standing up and heading for the door.

"She doesn't remember anything." Father said as I was coming out of the study. I glanced one last time at Elena over my shoulder before I gently shut the door behind me and joined the Counsel. _The situation I am currently in is funny to me considering how I never wanted to be involved with these old quacks, and now I am in the thick of it. It makes me want to laugh.  
_

"Damn." Mr. Forbes growled clenching his hands. "And we were that close to getting one up on these creatures from hell." He spat holding his thumb and forefinger apart about an inch to indicate how close the counsel had been.

"Then, is she of no use to us?" Mayor Lockwood asked getting straight to the point.

"No, Dr. Janes said that she remembers what happened, but that her mind is blocking it out. He says that once she heals and becomes comfortable enough, the memories will start to come back."

"So she can still be of use." Jonathan summarized nodding his head. "Perfect."

"So, now that we know she can be of use to us, where will she stay? We know nothing about her background or family, so until we find out more about her, she must stay with one you." Father said authoritatively. I froze and held my breath. Father said one of _you, _not _us_; that meant that he wanted to get rid of her. Problem is Miss Elena needs to stay here, not with someone else. I was quickly formulating an idea on how to keep Miss Elena with us when Honoria cleared her throat.

"I think the girl should stay here." Honoria said bluntly. The room went silent and everyone turned to look at her in shock. I myself was even surprised by her suggestion. Elena and I had agreed that this portion of the plan would be the hardest to pull off, to get my father agree to let Miss Elena house with us, but it looked like Honoria was going to take care of that for us. I silently sent a prayer to god and let out a silent sigh of relief. This crazy plan might actually work all the way through.

"What makes you think that is wise Honoria?" My father asked slowly. "We already are housing Miss Pierce, what good will it do us to house another girl?" He said giving me a pointed look as if to say, 'You and your brother cause enough trouble with Miss Pierce, we don't need another girl for you to fight over'.

"Precisely Giuseppe, you _do_ have Miss Pierce living here presently. Miss Pierce is about the same age as the girl and that would make this…Elena feel more comfortable with her, that in itself would help her open up to the people around her and you. I do not know anything for sure, but this girl would not be alone in the forest without protection if she were being watched over, that means she could possibly be orphaned just like Miss Pierce. Similar characteristics to Miss Pierce would allow them to bond, and in the long run, we can use the information to our advantage. It is the perfect opportunity. You however are just being too stingy to see it that way."

"Her family is dead. She whimpered something about it when father was questioning her." Stefan said dully from the corner.

"And there you have it! Common ground for the girls, a feeling of trust and understanding for Miss Elena build off of. Please do not tell me you are going to throw away this golden opportunity because you are being stingy." Honoria repeated as she finished off her tea and placed the cup and saucer on a nearby table.

I watched Father's temple twitch in irritation, but that only meant he knew Honoria was right. Honoria had won. I bit my lip to keep from smiling and I turned to look at Jonathan who was about to speak. "She has a point Giuseppe. Maybe it is wisest for you to house the girl."

"I agree. You are in the best situation Giuseppe, its strategy, and a good one at that." Mr. Forbes said running a hand down his chin to smooth his stubbly chin.

"Mayor Lockwood?" My Father asked turning to look at the man who was currently leaning against the wall with crossed arms. "Do you agree as well?"

"I do." The Mayor said nodding.

"Then it is decided." Father sighed in defeat. "The young Miss Elena will stay with us until further notice." He said looking at everyone in the room in turn. "I will make sure to question her about the events in the forest and see if she can remember anything important. We have been given a lucky break, if she can identify her attacker than this girl could be the key point in our plan." My father said punching his hand. Everyone in the room nodded and mumbled a few words to their neighbor before turning back to Giuseppe with looks of respect.

On the inside, I was rejoicing the fact that our plan had succeeded, but on the outside, I had complete composure. I couldn't act as if I was happy or sad, any emotion on my part would draw suspicion to Miss Elena, and she really did not need that. Just keeping this charade up would be difficult enough on its own. I really did need to thank Honoria for her part, but that was out of the question. I would just have to settle for a mental thank you.

"Well, if that is all, this Counsel Meeting is adjourned." Mr. Forbes said standing up and stretching. I watched as everyone stood, mumbled a few goodbyes, grabbed their things and exited the house. Stefan sighed, stood up, and headed upstairs to most likely sleep. I yawned and turned to the mantle and saw that it was already past nine PM. Outside it was pitch black and warm, I could tell it was warm from the sticky waft of air that hit me as the front door closed for the last time.

I sighed and pushed off my knees as I stood up and stretched. I rubbed the back of my head and yawned one last time before heading for upstairs. I would see Miss Elena again once everyone was in bed. "Damon," My father called gruffly, "wait a moment."

"Yes Father?" I said stopping at the top of the staircase.

"Keep watch over Miss Elena and let me know if she wakes up anytime soon. I have some business to attend to." Father said tapping his hand with Dr. Janes written instructions.

"Yes, Father." I repeated as I turned on my heel, went down the steps and headed for the study. _Perfect._

"And Damon?" Father called hesitantly as I stopped in my tracks. _Here comes the next beating. _"You were right to bring her here, good job."

I was taken aback by his sudden exclamation of pride, but I shook it off and kept walking towards the study as if I had not heard him. Father would be back to hating my guts by morning, there was no reason to pretend he was proud of me, if even for a second. I entered the study and left the door ajar as I pulled a chair in front of the fireplace and sat down. I folded my hands behind my head and let out a deep sigh of relief. _Finally, all of this trouble is over. _I yawned, leaned back in the chair, closed my eyes, and let sleep overtake me.

* * *

Miles away in forest, as Elena slept soundly in the Salvatore study and a human Damon watched over her diligently, a portal was opening up from another time. As the wind blew ominously and whistled through the leaves of the trees, a man stepped through the portal and looked around perplexed. As soon as the portal had appeared, it closed with a quick flash of light. The man turned to look over his shoulder at the portal, but by the time he had turned around all he could see was the forest that surrounded him.

The man clad in a dark shirt, a leather jacket, jeans, and combat boots let out a relieved sigh and reached into his pocket to pull out something. When he opened his clenched fist, something shiny glinted in the weak light of the moon. The small necklace charm shaped like a heart rested safely in the palm of his hand while the silver chain cascaded down the side of his hand and fell free.

The man with mysterious blue eyes stared at the charm for a moment before slipping it back into his pocket and nodding his head. "I'm coming for you, Elena." He whispered softly as he clenched his fist. "I'm going to save you."

Suddenly, there was another flash of light, and he let out a gasp of pain. The man stumbled and clutched at his head in agony as he hunched over and rested against a nearby tree. His sapphire eyes burned as his mouth opened in a silent yelp of pain. The scenery around him melted away into a twisted and complex pattern of colors before they turned dark blue, almost black. The man panted and looked around as a large dome-like structure in-closed around him. The structure moved and pulsed as if it were alive, as if it had a heartbeat. He grunted, pushed off the tree and came to stand in front of the closest face of the dome. He tilted his head in question and hesitantly he reached out and touched the shimmering structure. The slight touch of fingertips sent small shock-waves through the whole dome until it suddenly shattered into a thousand pieces. The man reared back in shock and looked up at the suspended fragments warily. Suddenly, the fragments regained mobility and quickly shadowed into his body. The sensations were indescribable, but before he had time to process what was happening, he fell back into the brush and let memories plague his mind and senses.

* * *

**And there were have it, chapter 21! So, is everyone happy that Vampire Damon has made his appearance? It was short, but Vampire Damon is back. Out of all the reviews I received, that is what people have been wanting most. Ask and sometimes you shall receive! ****:)**** So, is Elena safe? When will Vampire Damon get to her? What will Vampire Damon remember? How will he react to all of these new memories? Stay tuned to find out! So thank you so much for reading and please leave me a review telling me how I did! Thanks and I hope you enjoyed!  
**

**P.S. - I updated _As He Lay Dying_ yesterday, so please feel free to pop over there and leave me a review. :D Thanks everyone!  
**

**P.P.S - Lets see if we can reach over 315 reviews this chapter. (Ahh I love you all. I can't believe one of my stories is about to go over 300!) Who knows, if we do reach over 315 then I may just reward you with an all Vampire Damon chapter at some point. Think about it! ;) I love you all!  
**

**Lots of Love, Lioness002  
**


	22. Cuddling By the Fire

**Welcome to chapter 22 everyone! So, all of you rock my socks off! I wondered if we could get to at least 315 reviews last chapter, and we did it! You all are so special and fantastic and I just wanted to let you know that I couldn't do it without you, so thank you so much! This chapter will be a continuation of the Elena and Human Damon storyline, but next chapter will be an all Vampire Damon chapter. So put your mind at ease and get ready for V-Damon next time. Haha, so thanks again everyone and please enjoy. Also, do me a favor and please leave me a review when you are done reading, I want to make sure my chapters are still pleasing you all and I am not slacking off. ;)**** -I Own Nothing -Lioness002**

* * *

**Elena's POV**

I let my eyes open slightly as I took in a deep and painful breath. I moaned as I lifted my head, before letting it collapse back onto the couch. "Where am I?" I asked hoarsely as I reached up and touched the new bandage on my neck. Even if the whole event had been an act, I was still at risk with the bite, it was very real and it hurt like hell. I was exhausted, not only had the acting been difficult, but having this much excitement had drained me of any excess energy. I sighed and tried once more to push myself up, and this time I was successful.

"In the study." A familiar voice whispered from the dark corner of the room.

"Oh." I said rubbing my head and looking around. Outside it was dark and the only source of light in the room was from the large fireplace. I turned my head to the side slowly and made eye contact with Damon. I felt my insides flutter in love, Damon had risked everything to try to save me, and I appreciated it more than he would ever know. Suddenly I remembered what had transpired this afternoon and my eyes widened. I looked around the study quickly, determined that no besides Damon was around, and smiled slightly. "Did it work? Did the plan work?" I asked nervously and excitedly at the same time. I saw the corners of Damon's lips twitch and instantly I knew we had succeeded. "We did it didn't we?" I giggled.

"We did." Damon confirmed smiling. I bit my lip to keep from screaming out in triumph and I settled for a fist pump.

"Yes! I can't believe it!" I gushed as Damon chuckled. I felt relief wash through my body as I smiled and slumped against the couch. _I feel giddy with excitement and energy; my previous exhaustion is forgotten, and all my feelings of tiredness, fear, and paranoia have disappeared. I want to sing, I want to dance, I want to rush over to Damon and kiss him until we both can't breathe. _

"I can. You were an amazing actress this afternoon." He said proudly as he nodded his head.

"Why thank you Mister Salvatore." I giggled straightening my hair as I ran my fingers through it. I was in high spirits and I couldn't help the smile that had graced my lips, for the first time in 1864, I actually feel somewhat safe.

"You are very welcome, you deserve the praise. I was in on the plan all along, and you had me fighting the urge to comfort you the whole time. So how do you think everyone else felt?"

"They probably felt pretty bad." I sighed rubbing my eyes and dropping my arms to my side. "But then again, you wanting to comfort me isn't that rare, so for all I know, I could have sucked at acting."

"And what does that mean?" Damon smirked.

"It means you care about me…and I _know_." I giggled as I teased him.

"Well of course I care, and how could you _not_ know? I've told you multiple times." He said as his forehead wrinkled in confusion.

"Let's just say that in the future you bottle your emotions up more. It makes it hard to see what you are really feeling." I whispered sadly. At the mention of the future, I instantly felt a yearning for home. I wanted to see Caroline, Bonnie, my brother, Alaric, Stefan, and most of all, Damon. While I loved being around this sweet and incredible human Damon, I missed my vampire Damon. I don't know what it is, but the more time I spend with him as a human, the more I want to see his vampire self. Maybe it's because I am emotionally invested in him now, or because I miss the familiarity, or the more likely answer, I want to see how it would be to love the vampire Damon. I understand him a bit more now that I have seen him in his own environment, now that I have seen where he comes from. I have seen the behind the scenes of the Katherine scandal, I have seen why he has issues with his father, I've seen the beginnings of a feud with Stefan, and I have experienced what it is like to be loved by Damon Salvatore. All of these moments, occurrences, and feelings I have witnessed and felt, bring out different parts of Damon, some I have never seen and have only imagined. _It's incredibly interesting, and it just makes me want to talk with Vampire Damon so we can go over everything._ _I want to learn more, experience more, and understand him that much more._

"Why would I do that? I understand being secretive about some things, but you say it like I keep everything to myself." Damon sighed sadly as he broke me from my thoughts.

"You act that way because you don't want to get hurt. You think that if you don't let anyone see the good in you, then you don't have to pretend to be something you're not. You hide the goodness inside of you because you have been hardened by the world, seen its darkest parts, and learned that to survive as a vampire, you can't care about anyone but yourself. You do all of this so when you do meet new people, they can't hurt you as Katherine did. Well…that's what I'm guessing anyways."

"Really?" Damon asked unconvinced. "I can understand some of that of course, but I enjoy being 'round other people…as long as they are not daft." He said flashing me his patented smirk. "However, if they are, it is still a jolly time badgering them." He said as his forehead puckered in confusion. "But I still don't understand how one can become so…isolated. It seems as if I would be miserable."

I flinched and downcast my eyes at the comment. I didn't want to be the bearer of bad news and tell him that he really was miserable. "It's natural for some people to be by themselves and hide who they truly are, but for you it's like a defense mechanism. You want to have meaningful connections with people, but you just don't know how to trust them, so you push them away with sarcasm and an aloof personality."

"But if I don't let people see the real me, how do you know all of this?" He asked as he tilted his head slightly.

I laughed half-heartedly and shrugged. "I guess I am the only one that really cares enough to try and understand you or pay attention to you on a personal level. Most people peg you as a selfish jackass who is a manipulative monster and leave it at that. They don't take the time to delve deeper and see the real you, the one you hide from the world. Nevertheless, I've always seen the good in you…or more accurately, the human side of you. So understanding you and learning about you just became second nature to me."

"Is that why you have been with me, to understand my Vampire self later?" Damon asked suddenly.

I paused and thought about his question. Was I staying with him to understand the Vampire Damon better? Knowing his human self made me understand his future-self better, sure, but had that been the point all along?

"Yes and no." I said slowly. "Knowing you like this, as a human, has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I understand why you are the way you are in the future, but that is not the only reason I've been with you. I've stayed because I care about you now, because you make me laugh, smile, feel safe, and so many other wonderful things. I love you." I said earnestly.

Damon rubbed his head and pursed his lips. "If you like me as a human, can you love me a vampire? I seem so different later." He mumbled self-consciously.

"Do you want me to love you later?" I giggled.

"Very much so, I can't think of any other person I would rather love."

I gulped and smiled. "What about Katherine?"

"Not important. From what I've heard from you, she does not care in the slightest for me. I want to be with you, in any time." He said piercing my soul with his sincerity and exuberance. His beautiful blue eyes were shimmering with emotion and it made my heart swell, he looked at me with such devotion and love that it made my insides flutter. _He really does love me, now and later. I guess I was right about the soul connection thing; soul mates are soul mate at any time. Damon Salvatore is my soul mate, who would have thought?_

"I want to be with you too!" I exclaimed instantly causing Damon to smile.

"Good." He said leaning back in his chair so he could relax. I bit my lip and rubbed my temples in thought as I watched Damon contently lounge. I made him happy, and my feelings for him were something he craved. If he didn't want to be with me, then he wouldn't have gone through all of this drama to get me into his life.

"Damon…," I whispered after a few minutes of silence and deep thought, "I need to apologize to you." I whispered quietly as I pulled my knees closely to my chest and stared at the blazing fire in thought. I let out a shaky breath, rested my cheek on my knee, and watched the lively flames lick at the scorching wood and turn the strong resilient substance to ash.

"Whatever for?" He asked quietly in absolute confusion as he opened up his eyes and sat up straighter. He cocked his head to the side and made a motion to stand up and come near me, but I shook my head and waved him back to his chair. Damon gave me an odd look and hesitated, but after a few seconds, he gave in and sat back down in his chair.

"I wanted to apologize for last week, before Katherine interrupted us." I said closing my eyes and sighing. "I just…I don't want you to think I'm a slut…or a whore…or Katherine," I said as I wrung my hands nervously. "Last week wasn't me; I don't usually act like that." I finally deadpanned. "I don't even know why I was so…forward. I surprised myself and I feel bad because that's not fair to you when I am going to have to leave at some point. I just don't want to give you the wrong idea." I said leaning my head on my knees and looking towards Damon. In the corner of the room, his features were half shadow and half-light thanks to the flames of the fire; it almost represented his two personalities, the light human side and the dark vampire side.

"I do not mind. Miss Elena I would never think ill of you." Damon said standing up and coming to sit next to me on the couch. I flinched slightly and shook my head as he placed a gentle and comforting hand on my shoulder.

"You may not think ill of me, but I would think ill of myself if I kept this up and hurt you." I said honestly as I stared into his eyes. "I care about you, but-"

"You regret what we did…or almost did." Damon sighed closing his eyes and rubbing the back of his head. Damon removed his hand from my shoulder, moved to the opposite side of the couch, and pinched the bridge of his nose between two fingers. I felt my heart break at the look on his face; he looked crushed, as if I had ripped his hopes and dreams away. I bit my lip and clenched my fists in anger. I was angry at the situation I had been put in, I didn't want to hurt him, and I certainly didn't want him to hate me. I want to be with him, but the real question is...which one do I really want to be with? Do I want the human or vampire Damon? The two parts of Damon are like two different men, one dark and one light, like two sides of a coin, but with similar characteristics buried underneath the surface.

"No! No, I don't regret kissing you, or saying I love you…or even almost sleeping with you." I rushed quickly as I blushed at the image of Damon and I intimately intertwined...or almost. The thought of last week still made me hot all over, Damon makes me feel things I have never felt before, and the memory defiantly makes me want to rip his clothes off all over again. How sad is that? I felt my stomach twist and instantly I felt homesick. I felt a longing for my friends and family, but the thought of a person was gnawing at the back of my mind, Vampire Damon. If only the future Damon could see me now, he'd be smirking down at me singing 'I told you so' over and over with an arrogant smirk plastered on his face.

I shuddered and shook my head ruefully. If the future Damon knew that I was in love with him, I know he would deny me, tell me I was too late to have him, torture me by sleeping with scads of women, or drag out the emotional turmoil for as long as possible. He wouldn't even give me the time of day until I felt a fraction of the desire, longing, and suffering he had felt for me for over a year. I sighed and shook my head. Nevertheless, I guess that's fair, it's what I've done every day since I met him. I guess I never understood what he was feeling until I actually sat down and thought about it, and now that I have, I feel guilty about pushing him away and keeping him at arms length as if my life depended on it. Why did I say it would always be Stefan? Why did I hurt him repeatedly without really regretting it? Why wouldn't I give him a chance? Back at home, I convinced myself that I had to do it, that I had to push him away to stay faithful to Stefan. However, now that I've really seen both sides, do I really want Stefan as much as I told myself I did? If I wanted to be with Stefan forever as I told Damon, then why don't I miss him every second of every day? Why am I so comfortable and content with Damon? Why have I stayed with Human Damon when I could have just as easily gone to Human Stefan? Why do I feel so much happier and more loved with Damon than Stefan? Why do I react to Damon in ways I never react to Stefan? I have so many questions that need answering, but all the answers lead back to Damon. I can't lie to myself anymore, I can't pretend or bury my feelings, I love Vampire Damon. Good and bad, vampire and faults in all. I don't want to hurt him anymore, I want to make him happy, see him smile like he does now, and hear his laugh; I want to see his eyes sparkle because for once someone understands him. I love V-Damon, and when I see my blue-eyed vampire again, I'm going to tell him everything. About my experiences with him in 1864, about how I've grown to understand him better, and in the process fallen in love with him. Everything, I am going to tell him everything.

"Then, what are you saying?" My sweet Human Damon murmured in confusion.

I blinked once and let out a deep breath to clear my thoughts before I turned my body towards Damon. "I'm saying that I am concerned about your feelings. I don't want you to grow so attached to me that you will be crushed when I disappear before your eyes. You have to know that I will go back to 2010 soon, that I will leave you and this time period." I whispered grabbing his warm hands and intertwining our fingers. "I don't want to hurt you, that is the _last_ thing I want to do." I laughed half-heartedly squeezing his hands. "The smartest thing for me to do would be to run while I still can, but," I bit my lip and flicked my gaze to Damon's, "I just can't stay away from you."

Damon's eyes drilled into mine for a moment before he nodded slowly. At first, I thought I had alleviated his sudden fear, but all at once, I knew that was untrue. "Someone should be here to fetch you and bring you to your new room soon." Damon whispered quietly as my insides twisted painfully. "I should go." He said pulling his hands away from mine. I wanted to flinch at the loss of contact, but I quickly composed myself. I couldn't let him see that I was hurting on the inside because of his rejection.

"Alright, of course." I whispered dejectedly as he started to leave the room. I bit my lip and wanted to call him back, but I knew that he needed to leave and that he needed time to himself. To my surprise, his movements towards the door were not to leave, but to quietly close to door. My eyes widened in shock as he turned around and smirked.

"Do you honestly think I would hurt and deny you like that? We only have a few minutes together before my father and the servants come back, and I'm going to make it count." He whispered swooping down to my level and claiming my lips. I froze in surprise before I gently reached up and cupped his face. Damon hummed in pleasure as I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck and pulled him onto the couch with me. _Thank God! I really thought he was going to leave me for a moment there. _

"So…you're not mad at me?" I asked in between kisses.

"No. I appreciate your concern for my feelings Miss Elena, but I will take all the time I can get with you." Damon mumbled against my ear as he nibbled on my sensitive flesh. I shuddered and ran my fingers through Damon's silky hair in a dream-like state. Being with him felt so amazing. From my ear, Damon moved to leave butterfly soft kisses up the hollow of my neck while he ran his hands along my sides, bunching up my fluffy and frilly dress in the process. My eyes fluttered closed and I let out a relaxed sigh as I drew random shapes over Damon's back. I gave him a goofy smile and reached to pull him closer to me as I peppered his face with kisses. "I love you." Damon said as he gave me another soft kiss.

"I love you too." I said causing my heart to melt. Being able to accept that I felt something for his was still new, but I loved it. Damon smirked and nuzzled into my neck affectionately as I ran my fingers over his spine. _How I wish he had his shirt off._ Damon shuddered at the sensation and smiled before he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on my lips and rubbed his nose playfully against mine. I giggled as Damon pulled away with a loving smile and caressed my cheek softly with his thumb.

"Shhh," he chuckled pecking my lips, "we don't want to get caught. What a scandal this would be." He said as his eyes widened in mock fear.

"You can say that again." I sighed propping my arm behind my head as I stared into Damon's sky blue eyes. "I'm glad you found me first." I said seriously while I brushed away his bangs and gently twisted my fingers into his wavy hair.

"Hmmm, me too." Damon mumbled wrapping his arms around my body and flipping us on the couch so he was beneath me. I let out a shocked squeak at the quick movement, but I quickly relaxed and leaned my head against his chest.

In his embrace I felt so safe, so loved. Before I met Damon, I never knew that I could feel this way in anyone's arms. Stefan never made me feel this way, he made me feel safe, yes, but never cherished. Damon on the other hand makes me feel that way every time I'm with him.

Damon ran his fingers soothingly over my spine, mimicking what I had done to him, and practically purred as I kissed, sucked, and nibbled teasingly on his neck. As I laid with my ear pressed to Damon's chest, I could hear his rhythmic and steady heartbeat. That, coupled with the fact that Damon was sweetly running his fingers along my spine, lulled me into a comfortable and sleepy state. I wanted to have this sweet and loving moment last forever, I wanted to memorize the way I felt, and I wanted to stay locked in Damon's adoring arms forever, but the universe had different plans.

A few minutes later, I heard voices and footsteps coming closer to the room. Damon moaned angrily before pausing his soothing strokes on my back. Damon sighed, kissed my forehead and stroked my cheek affectionately before gently lifting me up so he could roll away and land on the floor. Damon righted himself quickly, and when his gaze met mine, his eyes glinted mischievously. I blushed as I righted my ruffled clothes, knowing that he would want to do more than just kiss me very soon. Damon seemed to read my mind as he pecked my lips one last time before he strolled over to his seat and sat down again. "We aren't done here." He said winking and smirking at me.

"I hope not." I mumbled as the steps stopped outside the door. "Later." I mouthed as the door opened and Giuseppe stepped in. Damon nodded in response and turned to look at his father.

"Father, the girl has just awoken." Damon said indifferently as he pushed against the arms of the chair and stood up.

"Very well. Thank you for keeping an eye on her son." Giuseppe said nodding and stepping out of the doorway. "You may take your leave now son. Rest, you need to keep up your strength, you never know what will happen in this town."

"Yes Father." Damon said striding past his father as Giuseppe turned to scrutinize me. "Oh," Damon said stopping outside the room and making eye contact with me, "welcome to Veritas Estates Miss Elena. I wish you a pleasant night and experience in this household."

"Thank you very much Mister…" I trailed off as I brushed my hair behind my ear and blushed for show. This would be where I officially learned Damon's name. "I'm sorry sir, but what is your name?" I asked shyly as I downcast my eyes. I needed to keep up the quiet, shy, and scared persona if I was to be believable to everyone in the house.

"Damon Salvatore, Miss." He said quickly as he straightened his back and puffed out his chest to look manly. I would so tease him about his acting later.

"Well it is very nice to meet you Damon…and thank you." I whispered putting more meaning into my thank you than he knew. Giuseppe raised an eyebrow, turned to look at Damon over his shoulder and gave him a look that said, 'wrap it up already'. Damon nodded and turned his gaze back to me.

"It was no problem Miss. Now I will leave you 'til 'morrow." He said bowing gently at the waist and locking his gaze with mine. I gulped suddenly feeling very alone; once Damon left, I would be at the mercy of 1864 with no buffer. My insides twisted in worry, it felt like something sinister was trying to claw its way out of me. My eyes grew slightly wet and I bit my lip, which Damon noticed instantly. All in a matter of seconds, he smiled softly at me and resituated from the bow. There had been barely a whisper of a smile, but it was enough to give me strength, I would see Damon again very soon. I wouldn't be in this alone; I would still see him now that I had been integrated into society. I blank away the tears and inclined my head a fraction of an inch in thank you; you wouldn't have noticed the exchange unless you had really been focusing on us. "Sleep soundly Miss." And with that, Damon disappeared and left me alone with Giuseppe.

Giuseppe let out a weak breath and cleared his throat. "Well, Miss Elena…how is your temperament?" Giuseppe asked gruffly once Damon had closed to door and started to make his way upstairs.

"Swell Mr. Salvatore, thank you for your concern." I said politely as I pushed up off the couch and stood up. "I feel much better than I did earlier."

"Very good…I assume you would like to retire for the night?"

"I would, but I pray I am causing no inconvenience on you or your family."

"Oh, it is no inconvenience at all. Please," Giuseppe said motioning for my arm, "right this way." I hesitantly made my way towards Giuseppe and when I was within arms reach, he tucked my arm under his. I wanted to flinch, I wanted hit him for all of the ill things he had done to Damon, but I kept my cool and quickly walked next to him as we left the study. "I apologize for my earlier badgering Miss, I was in the wrong."

"'Tis not a problem sir, I can understand your questioning." I said keeping the conversation going as we walked up the stairs and made our way down the hall. As we passed by Damon's door, I felt a deep longing settle into my heart, I hated being away from him and having to act as if he was some stranger I just met. _I will see him later, relax Elena_.

"This is where you will stay for the time being, I hope the room is to your liking." Giuseppe said gruffly as he extended his arm toward a closed door and opened it for me. I gave him a weak and small smile and took a small step inside.

"Oh." I gasped wide-eyed as I looked around the gorgeous and spacious room. "It's marvelous." I whispered shaking myself away from my initial shock. "I thank you kindly for being so generous with your hospitality Mr. Salvatore, it has been a long while since I have felt at ease in these troubled times." I said quietly as I took a few more small steps into the spacious and comfortable guest room. I turned over my shoulder and curtsied politely in Giuseppe's direction.

"So many people in these times feel the way you do." Giuseppe said awkwardly as he tried to make polite conversation with me. "It is not uncommon to feel lost or troubled, we live in troubling times."

"That we do." I sighed brushing my hair behind my ear. Giuseppe and I stood in silence for a few awkward moments before he nodded to himself. I clasped my hands in front of me and gazed at him with an apprehensive look.

"Well, it is a pleasure to be at your assistance Miss, and please make yourself comfortable." Giuseppe said cordially as he stood by the exit shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Since you are lacking a handmaid at the moment, Miss Pierce, our other young house-guest, has permitted Miss Emily, her handmaid, to assist you from time to time."

"Well please send her my very gracious thank you." I said trying my best to keep the bile out of my voice.

"I will make sure to relay your regards to Miss Pierce." Giuseppe sighed running his fingers through his gray and thinning hair. "Also, some of the servants will run a bath for you tomorrow."

"I cannot thank you enough times Mister Salvatore, you and your family have saved me much heartache and burden. However, if you would pardon me, I am very tired and wish to rest. Would you allow me to slumber?" I asked innocently as my eyes widened.

"Of course!" He said sounding relieved that I wanted to be left alone and that he could leave. "Someone will be in to check on you in the morning." Giuseppe sighed as he quickly exited the room and closed the door behind him. I pursed my lips and shook my head as I turned around and walked over to the bed, Giuseppe is _not _a people person.

Once Giuseppe had said goodnight and left the room, I stopped in front of the bed and examined the clothing that Katherine had supposedly been nice enough to 'lend' me. In reality, some of these clothes were the ones that Emily had sent for weeks ago, and set aside for me as Damon had asked. I held up each piece of clothing in turn and ran my fingers over the elaborate designs. All the clothes really were beautiful. I grabbed all the clothes and looked for somewhere to store them and that was when I saw the armoire. I opened the elaborately carved doors and saw some old types of hangers. I put every dress inside the armoire, except for my night slip, and closed the doors. I walked over to the bed, slipped into my new period piece nightwear, and couldn't help but miss my nice and comfortable boxer shorts and tank tops. _Oh well, it's just a nightgown and these aren't so terrible…. _I sighed and ran my fingers over my newly bandaged neck; Katherine's two bites would forever be a reminder of everything I had to do to survive in this time.

I frowned and shook my head at the thought. _Now is not the time to worry about it, right now it is time for me to relax. _I took my hand away from my neck and brought it down to my side and pulled the silky material between my fingers, it seemed expensive for this time. I padded over to the full-length mirror, smiled, spun around once and then took in the look of the slip. To my eyes, my dark hair and eyes contrasted nicely again the cream and formfitting piece of clothing that went down past my knees. To someone else, I would be a young girl with blonde hair and blue eyes in a cream slip that had intricate lace patterns on the bodice and at the bottom hem of the slip. The straps holding the silky fabric against my slender form were lace as well and were about an inch in width. The thought that I would look different to strangers was overwhelming; it was as if I was a completely different person in 1864. Then again, the fact that I looked different made me safe.

I shook my head and couldn't help the smile that touched my lips; the slip wasn't actually that bad; I actually looked somewhat pretty and sexual for this time. It figured that the nightwear would be sexual considering some of these were from Katherine. However, the thought made me smirk. If I looked sexy to Damon wearing old clothes and his shirts, then I would probably look like a goddess in this. I giggled and shook my head; I was really turning into a love-struck idiot.

Downstairs the house clock rung dully and echoed through the quiet house. Eleven rings later, the house went quiet again. _Eleven o'clock already, my how this day has flown by. _I pushed up on my tiptoes and reached my arms into the air as I stretched. I let out a deep breath and lightly landed square on the floor. I walked over to the bed and quickly pulled the thick covers away from the goose feather mattress.

I hopped into the bed and pushed my feet to the bottom of the bed. I pulled the comforters around me and reached towards the bedside table to grab the candle. I brought the dull flame close to my lips and let out a small puff of air. The candle went out with a small wisp of smoke and cloaked the room in inky blackness. I reached over and put the candle back on the table before I nestled myself into the clean and fluffy covers. I reached behind me and fluffed one of the large pillows, before I put it back down and burrowed my head into the feathery heaven. I sighed, closed my eyes, and fell asleep instantly. This was the first night in 1864 Mystic Falls that I didn't fall asleep terrified for my life. This was the first night I could sleep deep enough to dream of my friends and family back home. This was the first night I dreamt about my future Damon, and didn't feel guilty about it in the slightest.

* * *

**Ha, chapter 22 is done! What did everyone think? A little less stressful than our last few chapters, so I bet that was refreshing to all of you. ;) So, since all of you are super-duper amazing, and we met 315 reviews last chapter, next chapter is an all Vampire Damon chapter like I said earlier. Yay! V-Damon finally gets to see what his human self has been up to with Elena for the past few weeks. ;) Hmm, it should be interesting. On another note, it may be a while until the next update; I have summer homework I need to finish, but I will update when I can. So, thank you so much for reading this chapter, and please let me know what you thought by leaving me a review. Thanks! **

**Lots of Love, Lioness002**


	23. Revelations Part 1

**Hey people, welcome back! So, this is chapter 23 and it is an all Vampire Damon chapter. Yes, victory! All right, I will wait while you all let out screams of triumph. Ask and you shall sometimes receive. Now, you all got a taste of him 2 chapters ago, but now you get a full dose. ****:)**** So, this chapter will consist of Damon reliving/remembering some memories that have occurred since the last time he saw anything, and him seeing how things between him and Elena have changed. It should be an interesting chapter for sure. ****:)**** I am sorry for the wait, but I had summer homework I needed to work on and my Junior year of high school just started yesterday, so I got busy.**

**Italics are memories and normal font is present Damon actions or thoughts. Note: This chapter got really, really long, so this sequence of Damon reliving memories will be cut in two or more. Most of this is actually new material. XD Anyways, I still hope everyone will please enjoy and I hope you will review when you are done reading. Thanks and enjoy! -I Own Nothing But the Idea -Lioness002**

**Dedicated to **_**inside my mind1 and MakaS0ul**_**. Thank you for your continued support! **

* * *

"What the hell just happened?" I grumbled to myself as I cracked my eyes open slightly and rubbed my head. I was laying flat on my back on some cold ground and I was staring into a colorful constellation of twisting and turning streams of fibers. It looked like the Northern lights. I raised an eyebrow and sat up gingerly. I felt woozy, which is something I am not used to these days. I had just gotten to 1864, I was in the forest and then there was a…dome. I inhaled sharply as I sped upright and looked around. I reflexively searched my surroundings for danger, but there was nothing to cause me harm, I was alone in a long tunnel full of doors. _What the fuck? _

My brows furrowed as I turned to my left and right and looked down the seemingly endless tunnel. Where am I? I'm supposed to be in 1864 saving Elena, not taking a daytrip to a witches funhouse.

I growled to myself, turned to the closest door, and punched it with all my might. The wood splintered and door burst off its hinges as the wood groaned in protest. I hissed, narrowed my eyes, and jumped back as there was a flash of light and all of the doors burst open. I took a tentative step towards the door I had smashed open and looked into the dark abyss. Through the open doors all around me, I could hear quiet whispers, then the door in front of me wavered and a foggy scene appeared before my eyes.

* * *

"_Damon baby, come here and meet your brother." _I gasped in uninhibited shock and involuntarily took a step through the door at the sound of my Mothers voice. I hadn't heard her sweet and soothing voice in so long that just the sight and sound of her made me feel a million different things at once. There was a sudden blur in my vision and I was suddenly in the room with Mother, I was standing next to my seven year old self looking at her; I was in the memory. I turned to my side and watched my younger self hesitatingly look at Mother and then at the door. I felt my throat tighten as I stared at her; she looked so fragile and weak, so sick. This was only a few weeks before her death. The dark hair that framed her face fell down in thick waves, her usually vibrant blue eyes were duller than I remembered, but her face was glowing with warmth and pride as she looked at my younger self.

"_But Father said not to-" I heard myself whimper pitifully._

"_Oh, don't listen to him; he is being much too strict. I am not made of glass. Come here." She said smiling and patting the bed beside her. I hesitated again but she clucked her tongue and shook her head as she gave me a reassuring look. "Come on, Stefan wants to meet his big and strong brother."_

I let out a shaky breath and watched myself crawl onto the bed and plop down next to Mother_. My small face contorted into puzzlement as I stared at Stefan wrapped in a light blue blanket in Mothers arms. "He's so small," I heard myself whine, "he won't be any fun to play with."_

_Mother chuckled softly in the back of her throat and pulled me over to plant a kiss on my head. "He'll grow, and it will be your job to protect him. Make sure no harm comes to him. Can you do that Damon? Can you protect your baby brother?"_

_My head nodded furiously as I looked up to Mother with determined eyes. "I can do that. I'll take care of him."_

"_And not just him Damon," Mother said smoothing my unruly black hair from my face, "all the people you care about and love. Your big heart is what makes you so special, what makes you different from everyone else, what allows you to love life so wholly. Don't let life's burdens change you, don't lose your passion or your ability to love and protect." Mother sighed and grimaced for a brief second before she continued. "Can you promise me that no matter what happens you won't give up?"_

I stepped forward and sat on the edge of the bed as my eyes scanned over the scene, it was as if she knew she was going to die. Had she known all along? Why had she made me promise all of these things? At the time they had seemed like nothing, just Mother taking care of me, loving me, but looking back now, she was preparing me. She was preparing me to take charge, to be strong, to take care of Stefan and myself.

"_I promise." My small voice assured. _

"_I never doubted you would." She murmured warmly as she smiled. My eyes lit up, I gave her a toothy smile, and a boyish laugh escaped me. I looked so happy in her presence, this would be one of the last times I saw her before she passed. _I frowned and rubbed my head, why was I seeing this? Why was I reliving my own memories?

"_He moved!" I exclaimed in astonishment. _I turned and watched Stefan yawn sleepily as he open his emerald green eyes framed by small brown lashes._ His eyes landed on Mother and then slid to me in question. After a second, my face split into a sheepish smile. "Hi Stefan, I'm Damon, your big brother." I said happily as I poked his pudgy cheek experimentally. Stefan paused before he let out a babyish laugh and gurgle as he wiggled in his blanket. _

"_He loves you Damon, and so do I." Mother whispered in my ear as she wrapped a thin arm around my shoulders. My face glowed with pride as I smiled at Mother in amazement. _The exuberance I was portraying made me miss my childhood; it had been wonderful until Mother had died. We had all been happy, a real family. With one arm cradling Stefan and the other wrapped around my small shoulders, I felt a lump rise in the back of my throat. These were one of the few memories where I actually felt like I belonged to the Salvatore family.

Suddenly the door opened and Giuseppe stepped inside the room. I bolted off the bed and watched my fathers eyes widen in rage as his gaze landed on my small body tucked next to Mothers. I knew what was coming next, and I dreaded reliving it.

"_What are you doing in here?" Father roared pointing an accusing finger in my direction. My eyes widened in shock and I crawled quickly off the bed. "I told you to stay away from here! You don't belong here! You should not be bothering your mother!" He yelled taking a threatening step towards my small frame. _

"_I'm sorry, I just wanted to see-"_

"_Get out!" Giuseppe roared storming forward and grabbing me by the collar of my shirt and hoisting me up. I flailed uselessly and tried to pull free, but Giuseppe held tight and stormed towards the door with me in tow._

"_Giuseppe stop! He's just a boy! Leave him be!" Mother called fearfully as Stefan burst in tears and screams and she tried to get out of bed so she could get towards me. Tears streamed down my fearful and pale face as Father roughly threw the door open and threw me out into the hall. I landed hard on the floor and cried out in pain as I cradled my now pulsing elbow. I could hear Stefan wailing and Mother trying to get to me from inside the chamber. "Damon! Damon baby are you alright?" She cried getting out of bed and trying her best to make her way over to me. _

"_Mary, stay put!" Giuseppe ordered turning around and giving her a hard glare. "He shouldn't be in here with you, he will worsen your condition. "_

"_He will not!" She exclaimed in outrage as her blue eyes turned to fire. "Damon has just as much right to be here as anyone else. He is part of this family too Giuseppe!" _

"_That little bastard is __**not**__ part of this family! Now get back into bed before you hurt yourself Mary, Stefan needs you more than Damon does." Mother chocked back a cry and made another move to get to me, but Father blocked her path. "Now." He ordered as he walked her back to the bed and situated Stefan in her arms. Mother's face that was full of cascading tears, she looked horrified as she glared at Giuseppe, but he paid no attention to her. Once she was back in bed with Stefan, he quickly turned around and gave me a venomous glare as I sat dumbstruck on the ground. "Stay away from here, because the next time I see you anywhere near this room, it won't just be your elbow that's hurt." And with that, Mother's chamber door slammed in my face for the last time. _

* * *

When I next opened my eyes, I was back in the tunnel full of doors. I choked as I swallowed and brought my hand up to my face. When I pulled my fingers back, they were wet with my tears. My chest was aching, and my stomach felt like a deep dark pit. I felt overwhelmed, experiencing this the first time had been hard enough, but reliving it was unbearable. My pain, my sorrow, my suffering, they had all started here. My life had been turned upside down, and the one person that really understood and loved me was being kept away from me. I remember the nights I cried myself to sleep after Mother died, the nights no one came to check on me, the weeks on end I would be ignored. I had never understood why Father had hated me so much after Stefan was born; it was something I had wondered about for years before I found out the truth.

I shook my head and coughed slightly. Now is not the time to rehash the past, I need to figure out how to get out of here and get to Elena. I rubbed at my eyes, blew out a deep breath, and walked away from that door as quickly as I could. I kept walking down the tunnel full of various memories for what felt like forever before I came across a series of closed doors. I stopped and pivoted to look at the series of doors with a skeptical expression. "What do we have here?" I mumbled as I walked up to the first closed door and hesitantly wrapped my fingers around the cold brass. What's inside of these closed doors? Why are they closed when the rest of my life is open for display? I pursed my lips, swallowed my irritation and slight uneasiness towards the situation, and opened the door. Instantly I felt the same jerking feeling as when I time traveled, and I was hurtled into a grassy clearing during a rainstorm.

* * *

I groaned to myself and pushed off the soggy ground in irritation. "Is it too much to ask to just let me walk through the freaking door?" I grumbled as I brushed leaves and wet grass off my leather jacket and the knees of my jeans. As I stood up I had a sudden rush of vertigo, my vision went blurry, my hearing disappeared, and I felt disorientated; I almost fell back onto the ground as a result. My eyes widened and I blinked a couple of times before my vision cleared and my hearing returned. Faintly, on the outskirts of my hearing, I heard two muffled voices coming from somewhere in the forest.

"_I would protect you; you'd be safe with me." _I heard my own voice. I was in another memory. But what made this one different from all the others? Why did this memory feel so unfocused, foggy, and vague? Why did I almost feel numb? In the other memory, I had complete clarity and sensation, in this memory I felt like I was looking through murky water. My body felt heavy, my vision cloudy, and my ears full of cotton.

"_I can't, it will mess up everything! Me conversing with you has already changed the future, being around people from my future would be too risky." _I froze and instantly recognized the faint voice. Elena, that was Elena. I pushed myself forward and instantly bolted towards the forest and voices. The last time I time traveled, I saw Elena in Mother's apple tree, so that meant she was still with me after the apple tree incident. But why did she stay with me? Is she still with me in the current 1864? How long ago was this memory of mine? So many questions swirled around my mind as I ran through the rain deeper and deeper into the forest. The thought that she was still with me made me smile, it ignited a small flare of hope inside of me, she was taking the time to try and trust me, she was opening herself up to my human self and taking a chance, she had faith in me. But why me? Why not go find Stefan?

"_Then what do you have to lose?" _I heard myself yell above the howling wind. Where are we? I thought in frustration as I sought for Elena and myself. My senses are still clogged from the memory jump, but what's odd is that I can smell the sap of the trees, hear the buzzing of bugs, hear the scuffles of small animals, but I can't pinpoint what I need to. Why? Why is this memory so much foggier? I need to know what's happening so I can know that Elena's all right.

Elena's usually soothing voice was full of strain and desperation as I honed in on her location. She had an undercurrent of fear to her voice, and she sounded a bit hesitant to be talking to me, but for some reason she seemed calm. I could hear two heartbeats, Elena's, and mine, and both were surprisingly steady. Elena's heartbeat I knew instantly, I had memorized it a thousand times over, so the other heartbeat had to be mine. It was shocking to hear my own heartbeat rather than someone else's. The last time I heard my own heartbeat I had been human and subjected to all the normal catalysts for a raging pulse, excitement, anger, attraction, or even exhaustion during hard workouts. Hearing my own heartbeat, the life force keeping my human body alive, from an outside perspective was a strange and very new experience. I shook my head and batted away the feeling of nostalgia and longing for a human life. That all is in the past. I need to focus on getting out of here and getting to Elena. _"I want to trust you, but Katherine will-" _

"_I won't let her hurt you. I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." _I heard myself say with more clarity. I'm going to protect her? Already? I've known her for a few hours. Why aren't I shocked? I had to be shocked at the appearance of a doppelganger, so why have I stuck around Elena? Why haven't I run to Katherine? What has Elena told me? Why is Elena still hanging around the manor and me? Doesn't she know that the Ice Bitch rules this town? Can she not fathom that I am stupidly and horribly enthralled with said Ice Bitch at the time? Why is she trusting me, why hasn't she run away? I let out a growl of frustration, gave up on trying to make sense of the situation, and followed the sound of voices until I finally burst through a patch of trees and stopped dead in a small clearing. I had found us. My eyes widened in amazement and I practically did a double take at what I saw. _"You need to trust me if I'm going to trust you." I said as I gently cupped Elena's terrified face in my hands. Her eyes never left mine as she bit her lip and fought an internal battle. _From my position on the outside of the clearing, I could hear her heartbeat accelerate considerably at my gentle touch. I took some hesitant steps forward and silently gaped at the fact she was letting me touch her. I'm holding her face, comforting her, and she isn't pulling away. She looks calm, serene and trusting, I've never seen her so comfortable around me before. I watched her eyes bore into mine like she was trying to read my soul, and I saw mine meet hers confidently in return. A flash of heat and electricity passed through my system at the scene, it was so intense and intimate that it made me hot. Is this what we always look like when we stare into each other's eyes? I always knew we had fire and passion when we were around each other, but this is the extreme of sexual tension. It really made me hot all over, and it certainly made me want to hold her close and never let go. If only she could see what I see, then she would know that she really felt something for me. Friends don't stare intimately into each others eyes like this, lovers do. I frowned and rubbed my forehead in confusion, my emotions are all over the place. I want to love her, push her away, ask her questions, comfort her and protect her all at once; are these my feelings, or my human feelings from the memory?

_Elena gently placed one of her hands over mine as tears began to cascade down her cheeks, blending in with the rain. "Alright," She whispered lightly as she pulled away from my grasp but let her fingers stay connected to mine for just a few seconds longer than custom, "I'll stay with you." _

My eyes intently watched her hand as it slowly began to slide away from mine. The action made me feel somewhat lonesome, but as I watched her let go of me, her fingers stayed touching mine for five seconds. Maybe I was just fishing, and maybe I was misinterpreting signs, but the way she was acting towards me seemed different than normal. It's as if she doesn't want to leave me. _I let out a relieved breath and motioned for her to follow me. "You won't regret it." I said grabbing her hand. And as I began to pull her toward the house, a confused but happy smile appeared on my lips. This girl made me feel so wanted. _

I gasped in shock as the sucking force returned and the memory quickly faded away. The last thing I saw was Elena clamping onto my hand and following me towards the house as rain poured down.

* * *

Once I was hurtled out of the memory, I stood up quickly and looked around. Everything in the tunnel of memories looked the same, except for the fact that the memory I had just been in had an open door, just like all the others. Every time I experience a new memory, it joins the rest in this hallway; it becomes a common memory to access. These memories are new, these are the memories I have made since Elena has arrived in 1864. I snorted and ran my fingers disbelievingly through my hair. Elena trusts my human self in 1864 and now she is going to stay with me. How is it fair that she won't be alone with me now, but the second she meets me as a human, she trusts me automatically? What kind of screwed up karma do I have? Why can't I win?

I looked down the hallway at the stream of closed doors dully before my eyes widened in the realization. Maybe my karma isn't as screwed up as I think. All these doors are closed, which means these are all new memories, I couldn't have made all of these if Elena left me, she must still be with me. The notion excited and heartened me, the more time she's with me as a human, the easier it is going to be for her to like me as I am now. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise; maybe this will actually do me some good. If she can accept me as a human, then she can accept me as a vampire. I smirked and instantly moved towards the next closed door and took a deep breath. Here we go again.

* * *

**And there we go, chapter 23. Now, if any of you are disappointed by the lack of memory reliving, don't be. I cut this chapter up so I could get something posted and so you all would have something to read. I have about…maybe eight more memories for him to live through, and we got through one this chapter. Haha, yeah, a lot to go. Soooo, here is my question to you. Would you rather have a long sequence of Damon reliving chapter's right after each other, OR would you rather I write really long chapters and just get it out of the way? If I write the shorter chapters for maybe 3 to 5 chapters in a row (2 or 3 memories per chapter), they will be posted quicker, have more detail, and have more of Damon's thoughts/reactions in them. If I write the longer chapters, it will get all of this out of the way and get you back to reading the main story. I personally would prefer the longer sequence of chapters back to back, but I will do what you want. So please let me know. So, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and will please leave me a review telling me how I did. Thanks! :D**

**Lots of Love, Lioness002**


	24. Revelations Part 2

**Hello there my wonderful readers! Chapter 24 is in the house! So, last chapter got really, really long, so I decided to cut it in two…and it may turn into three or four. Look at it this way, the more I split it up, the more in depth Damon reactions you get. Haha. So, this is the continuation of chapter 23 and Damon regaining memories. I appreciate all of the reviews and comments from last chapter; it means a lot to me. So everyone, please enjoy this new chapter and I hope you will be kind enough to toss me a review. ****:)**** Love ya and please enjoy! -I Own Nothing But the Idea -Lioness002**

**P.S. This chapter only has one memory, but it is one of the longest of all of the memories, so I figured it could be a chapter all by itself. And look at the bright side, I cut up the chapter and now you all get something to read. ****:) Enjoy!  
**

* * *

With a loud pop, I felt a jerking sensation and as I opened my eyes, I found myself in my old chamber at the manor. I shook my head and turned to see Elena bustling around my chamber grabbing a pitcher, water, and a cloth. I raised an eyebrow in confusion and turned to see myself sitting on my bed watching her every move with extreme interest. I flinched instantly when I noticed the state I was in, blood covered my face and bruises were already cropping up all over. _Father must have paid me a visit_, I thought bitterly as I bit the inside of my cheek in irritation. I felt rage boil in the pit of my stomach; this was something I really didn't want Elena seeing. I don't want her pity. I don't want her to think I am weak or that I can't take care of myself. I don't want her to suffer for me, because knowing her, she is probably a worried wreck right now.

"_What are you doing?" I asked when I looked up and saw Miss Elena in front of me with the pitcher and basin from the other side of the room in her hands. I let out a silent breath and internally flinched as I felt pain shoot through me._

"_I'm going to fix you up a bit." She said sitting down on the bed next to me and pulling the cloth out of the basin as she poured water into it. I watched her beautiful face contort with concentration and concern as she dunked the cloth into the water a couple of times. Was this concern really for me? Did she actually care that I was secretly in pain?_

"_You don't have-" I started to say as I tried to play this off as nothing._

"_I want to." She interrupted flicking her gaze up to meet mine. Her eyes were warm and full of unshed tears as she smiled weakly at me. Her chocolate orbs were hypnotizing; I wanted to keep looking into them forever. "It's the least I can do considering this was entirely my fault." She said submerging the cloth and wringing it out over the basin and turning towards me. "I'm the reason your father exploded on you." _I froze and made my way forward as I watched Elena bite her lip in shame. She feels guilty I realized as I watched her eyes shimmer as she silently tried to apologize to me. She blamed herself for my father beating me. Why? It wasn't her fault my dad was the biggest dick on the face of the planet. She didn't hurt me, she's helping me. I sucked in a sharp breath and my eyes narrowed as she gently touched my face and began to wipe blood away from my nose. I shook my head and rubbed the back of my neck in amazement. She cares; she really seems to care about me. Her heartbeat is consistent and steady, she's not afraid of me, she's not uncomfortable, she's taking care of me because she wants to. Warmth filled me at the thought that I was getting special treatment, but I quickly tried to push the feeling away, she cares about everybody. This is nothing special; she's just being her normal caring self. I watched my face contort in pain and flinch at the contact of the cloth to my face. I walked closer to the scene and watched myself grab her wrist and shake my head sadly.

"_No, none of this was your fault." I said lightly brushing my thumb over the back of her hand. Her skin was warm and smooth under my fingertips and I swallowed thickly trying to keep myself in check. She looked down at our touching hands and fidgeted as her face filled with a bit of a blush. I felt my heart clench and I wanted to smile as she scooted a fraction of an inch closer to me and gently placed her hand on my good cheek. _

"_Turn this way please." She whispered holding my good cheek lightly to keep me steady. She paused for a second and I watched in fascination as her eyes brightened curiously and she ran her fingers lightly against skin of my cheek. I gulped and did as I was told and kept as still as I possibly could. Problem is, with Miss Elena touching me ever so gently, it made it very difficult for me to stay still for some reason. She dipped the bloody towel into the basin of water and rung it out before gently dabbing at the cut on my cheek. My cheek stung as she cautiously cleaned me up, and I felt slightly sick at the sight of my own blood on the towel, but as I kept my gaze fixed on Miss Elena, I felt my nerves slowly start to relax. _

I watched Elena continue to dab gently at my face until most of the blood had been removed. The funny thing was, I swear I could feel the gentle strokes of the cloth on my face as Elena cleaned the human me up. I gulped and closed my eyes for just a second wishing that I could actually be experiencing Elena's pleasing touch, be on the other end of her concern, and feel what it felt like to be loved. I shook my head and ground my teeth together in frustration. Snap out of it, now is not the time to be fantasizing. Elena loves Stefan, not me. She's only taking care of me because I am her only lifeline in this time and she is too caring to let anyone be hurting in her presence. _"Well, your face looks better." She sighed pleasantly._

"_Does it? It still feels like its swollen three times the size." I grumbled irritably as I clenched my fists at my sides. Miss Elena sighed and I watched her face form a mask of sympathy. It still surprised me that this strange girl, one that I had just met, seemed to care so deeply for me. _

"_It's not bad; the swelling won't set in for an hour or two. The only really visual affect is your cheek." She said drifting her fingertips across my now clean face. I knew she was only checking for more bleeding, but it still felt magnificent. Her touch sent me head first into a state of pure bliss, her touch sent chills down my spin and I had to fight the pleasured shiver that wanted to pass through me. _

"_I'll survive." I gasped out trying to wave off her comment as nothing. Even if Miss Elena is caring and understanding, I don't need her thinking I am a weakling. I let out a deep breath and opened my eyes to watch her hand softly caress my cheek. _

"_What about your back?" She asked pulling her hand away from me. _I watched myself freeze and turn to look at her with a shocked expression. I even felt the air in my own lungs freeze. Did she just say that? Did she seriously just ask me to take my shirt off? I snorted to myself and ran my hand down my face making sure I was still conscious and not in some sort of cruel daydream. While I am certainly not self-conscious, I'm actually starting to wonder what Elena is trying to do with me. She's looking at my human self with her innocent brown doe eyes, but I have a sneaking suspicion business is not the only thing on her mind.

While Elena continued to stare at my human self, and I sat still in shocked silence, she slowly became stumped at my hesitance. She shifted uncomfortably for a second before realization slowly dawned upon her. She blew out a breath and giggled nervously.

"_I'm not asking you to strip or anything." She giggled trying to lighten the sexual tension. I cocked my head to the side and raised an eyebrow in her direction. "This is nothing sexual; I just want to make sure you're alright." She whispered biting her lip and brushing her hair nervously behind her ear._

_I pursed my lips for a moment before shrugging self-consciously. "No one has ever taken care of me like this, especially a stranger."_

"_Well, I'm not the average stranger, I already know you." She said smiling genuinely as she referred to my vampire self. _She's smiling, she's happy that she knows me as a vampire? How is that possible with all of the crap I have put her through? I closed my eyes and picked up Elena's heartbeat. I'm not sure what I was looking for, but as I listened, her heart rate gradually quickened. What surprised me however was that it wasn't quickening from a lie, it was quickening from attraction as she kept her gaze locked with my human self's. I have heard the sound of an attracted heartbeat many times, and that is exactly what Elena's sounds like right now. _Her gaze went down and lingered on my lips for a second before she shook herself and forced her gaze to meet mine._ My eyes narrowed and I waved my hand in front of Elena's face before I crossed my arms in exasperation. This is real, she isn't being forced to act this way, and she isn't sick. So what is making her reaction to me different? It can't really be the simple fact that I am a human here, even as a vampire I'm relatively the same person.

She didn't flinch from my random and sporadic outburst, but why would she? This is a memory, a real one, not something my desperate mind has concocted to make me feel better. Elena is really staring at me with a gaze I thought was reserved for only Stefan.

"_But I don't know you." I said evenly._

"_You will." She said absently as she gave me a hard stare. Is she challenging me? My this woman has guts. I smirked to myself and shook my head; I like a girl with fire. As Miss Elena stared at me, my small smirk disappeared and I sighed and bowed my head slightly. She's going to think I am a weakling that can't take care of anyone. That I can't take care of the people I love, but I can, I'm strong and I will prove it to her one way or another. I won't let my father's words haunt me forever. _

"_To be honest, I bashed it hard." I said honestly. Accepting help from this girl doesn't make me less of a man does it? Damn, why do I even care? She is a stranger! I thought angrily as I clutched at the bed sheets behind my back. But still…I feel like I know her for some reason. And because of that, I feel like I need to be strong for her and make sure she feels safe with me. I promised I would keep her safe, and I don't plan on breaking that promise.  
_

"_Would you let me look at it? My father was a doctor so I have some experience in the medical field; I can at least tell you if anything is broken or how long the bruise will be there." She said pulling me from my thoughts. My mouth popped open on reflex and I knew my face was probably displaying hundreds of different emotions. Is it wrong of me to want her to see me bare? I bit the inside of my cheek and chastised myself for thinking such thoughts of such a young girl. Why is she drawing so many different emotions out of me? Why do I feel so conflicted? I feel as if she is the most important thing in the world to me. More so than Miss Pierce. These girls share a face, so why do they seem so different?_

"_You are a strange woman," I finally managed to murmur. "Most women would shy away from the idea of seeing me bare, but the unrespectable woman would relish in it. You though are definitely not unrespectable," I said quickly, I didn't want to offend her._

"_I'm glad you think so, because I can tell that what I am offering is very alien to you." She said shrugging and twisting my sheets through her slender fingers. _

"_Yes, it is, but I account that for the fact you are from a different time. Really all I see is someone who just wants to help." Even as I said this, I was puzzled. While I did agree with my assessment, at the same time I was confused at how I got there. Usually I would have been…intrigued by this girl's forwardness, but for some reason I understand why she is acting the way she is. And I also seem to know that it has nothing to do with lust or manipulation, it's like I know she would never take advantage of anyone in any situation. She just wants to help. But why do I know this?_

Elena nodded at my statement as she lightly turned her face away from me. I could hear her heartbeat pick up and I watched as her cheeks turned the softest shade of pink. Is she embarrassed? I thought raising an eyebrow in suspicion. What is she thinking about? She only blushes and looks away when she is nervous or attracted to someone. Is she lying to me, does she actually want to see me shirtless? My mouth popped open and I stared at Elena in deep concentration. Is she attracted to me?

"_So…?" _She urged me gently, waiting for me to say something.

_I watched myself sigh and slowly start to unbutton my damp and bloody shirt to take it off. As I pulled the thin material over my shoulders, Elena crawled behind me on the bed to see the extent of the damage._ I walked over and sat down on the bed so I could see what was happening up close. This was going to be interesting for sure.

"_Well, good news, nothing is broken." Elena said a few minutes later as she ran and prodded her fingers along my back causing a small gasp to escape my lips. Her slender fingers trailed across my back where bruises were beginning to blossom. I hissed to myself in pain, but again I didn't want her to think I was weak, so I bit my tongue. Her fingers stopped on my side where I had hit the wall and they hovered over my heated flesh for a moment. I let out a deep breath and_ _lifted my arm to give her better access to the inflamed area. I grimaced at the pain in my shoulder, squeezed my eyes shut tight, and clenched the sheets with my free hand to try and alleviate some of the pain. "Right here looks like the worst of the bruising." She said skimming her fingers over the injury ever so lightly. _

She's being so gentle with me; I've never experienced something like this before. I've never had someone dawdle over me or seem so honestly concerned about my wellbeing. Hell, I've never had anyone care at all. She seems almost worried about me, but she certainly is enjoying my shirtless state more than she should be. I'm not stupid; I can hear how her heart skips every time she comes into contract with me. But why? Why now? Why not back at home with the real me! Why does she have to be making progress with my human self and not me? I thought in frustration as I felt the ghost of Elena's gentle touch on my side. I watched her sweet face contort in concentration as her fingers tracked across my human self's back. My jaw twitched and I growled as I sped away from the bed to pace. The more recent the memories were, the more sensory details I felt. So as Elena 'innocently' runs her fingers along me, I get to partially experience it and do nothing about it. How unfair is my life? Immeasurably unfair.

_I gulped and wanted to hesitate at my sudden urges, to fight my sudden explosion of feelings, but I shook away my fear and steeled my nerves. I slowly moved my hand back enough to touch Miss Elena's fingers with mine and I felt her fingers tense at the sudden contact, but after a second, she relaxed and moved her fingers toward mine. When she didn't pull away, I let out a relieved sigh. I wasn't wrong in my assumption that she was interested in me. But why does that fact make me feel so happy? Why does her acceptance feel like a blessing?_

I threw my arms in the air and wanted to slam my head against something very solid. This is ridiculous, it's a joke. I want to be there, I want to feel her touch, clearly hear her heartbeat pick up from something I have done, experience this whole thing myself. Not get some secondhand video of Elena opening up to my human self. I want her to open up to me, the vampire me. How could all of this have happened in less than twenty-four hours? How have Elena's anti-Damon walls come crumbling down in the process of an afternoon? Why isn't it me? While I'm not exactly mad at what I have seen, I guess I am more or less jealous…of myself. Well, that's a new one.

Silently fuming, I watched Elena shake her head and bite her lip as her gaze scanned quickly around the room. She looked conflicted, like she was fighting another internal battle. Knowing her, she is probably already feeling guilty about what she is doing and thinking about her Saint Stefan. She's probably trying to figure out how she is going to tell me that she is already taken. Her heartbeat was all over the place as she grabbed the cloth from the basin and gently placed it on my back. I could almost feel the water sliding down my shoulders and lower back. It is a very odd sensation to feel something touching you when you know nothing is there. I remember times during the war when men woke up wanting to itch their leg and then realizing nothing was there. It is the same sort of sensation feeling Elena's touch, but not actually having her touch _me_.

"_How's your head?" She asked weakly trying to stay on task as I squeezed her fingers and pulled her hand towards my heart. I couldn't help but notice how perfect her hand felt in mine, it was like she was made for me. As held her hand over my heart, I couldn't help but be shocked at myself. I have never been this way with a woman. I've never acted vulnerable around anyone, I've never been so forward with a girl I just met, and I've never been so…sweet I guess you could say. During the day, I am the respectable and fun loving elder Salvatore, at night, I'm the bad-boy with roguish charm that women can't resist, but I have never been the type to express myself willingly. What is so special about this girl that makes me act this way? She compels me to show her what she does to me, I want her to feel my racing heartbeat, feel how she has captivated me with her pure and honest personality. What is it about her that makes me feel this way?_

"_Pounding." I finally sighed as her finger tips twitched and relaxed against my chest. I smirked and relaxed into her comforting embrace as she leaned her cheek on top of my head. I could feel her racing pulse and she could probably feel mine. Two people absolutely enthralled with each other but unable to do anything about it. "I don't understand what I am feeling." I confessed squeezing her hand in comfort. "You remind me so of Katherine, but you are so different. I've known you for less than a day and already I am feeling things I shouldn't be." I whispered as my head fell back onto her shoulder. _

My breath froze in my throat as I watched the scene unfold before me. This went from a little sexual tension to a full on intimate moment. I felt myself move forward on instinct and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from growling in frustration. My body was humming with desire, and my fingers were twitching sporadically at my side.

I have to watch myself be so close to her, close enough that just one move would bring my lips to hers. I longed to feel her soft lips molded to mine, longed to run my fingers through her silky hair, and longed to hear her moan my name. I wanted to touch her, please her, and show her that I could be the one that she needs. It's frustrating because she reacts to me this way every time we touch and every time she is near me. She thinks I never notice, but I do, I just chose to stay silent. She thinks it's better for me to not shake up the fragile balance we have. She thinks that if she ignores what she feels for me, then maybe I will give up. I snorted and rolled my eyes. If only it were that easy. I always notice how her heart skips a beat whenever I touch her, how her pupils dilate whenever she looks at me, and how her gaze flicks to my lips each and every time we talk.

And now she is doing the same thing with the human me, the only difference is that now she is actually acknowledging what she feels. Her eyes were shinning with desire for me, the human me didn't notice, but I did. I noticed the fractional change in the color of her eyes, they darkened in lust and her lips parted unconsciously. Elena angled her head down partially and stared deep into my eyes as she lightly brushed my bangs from my face. I gulped and wished I could be in my human self's place, and then maybe Elena would give me a chance.

"_The way I act around you is so, wrong." _I heard myself say as my brow furrowed in confusion. _"But yet I have no confliction, I feel as if I want this for some reason." _Elena's eyes widened and I could practically hear the gears turning in Elena's head as her mouth formed a small o. She's thinking about something very intently, but what?

"_Maybe it's a soul connection." Elena whispered dreamily. _Did she just say that? Does she think we are connected in some special way? I never knew she even cared that much about me. I never even knew she thought I had a heart…let alone a soul.

"_What do you mean?" I asked quietly as I felt my heart clench in surprise._

"_In 2011 you are in love with me, maybe you are feeling things you will feel in the future. You are the same person so it isn't too much of a stretch. I'm here so maybe it's prying it out of you. That's probably why this unconventional action isn't bothering you like it should." Elena rationalized._

She just brought up my feelings for her. What is going on? It's like all of her barriers are gone and she is letting everything out to dry. It's like she's wanted to say all of these things to me but didn't know how. She hasn't mentioned Stefan and she's not shying away from me. How much and how long has she been keeping these things hidden? What else does she think about me? I just hope positive things will come from this experience and I will get a bit of a boost in her eyes.

"_It's as good an explanation as any." My voice mumbled gruffly as my eyes closed lightly and I relaxed. _

"_Mm hmm." Elena mumbled absently as she ran her fingers gently through my hair until she found my bump. I winced but Elena's gentle touch quickly pacified me. "Is this where you hit your head?" She whispered into my ear, her soft lips grazing the shell of my ear. I nodded and absently ran my fingers across the bump. "I think you will be fine, just put some ice or a damp cloth on it." _

"_I will work on that." I laughed and what surprised me was that she giggled in response. I smirked, her laugh is beautiful, it makes my heart melt. I found myself wanting to hear her laugh more, I wanted to make her happy, see her eyes light up as she smiles at me. I sat up from her grasp suddenly and turned my body in her direction. I was about to take a risk, but I was never one to think things all the way through. Elena's face flushed as I gently reached out and caressed her cheek with my thumb. "Is this crossing boundaries?" I asked self-consciously. I don't know what spurred on this sudden action, but it felt right so I didn't fight it. I want to be near her, but I want her to feel comfortable as well, so I need to go slow if I am going to try and feel our her reaction to me. _

"_I don't really know anymore." She whispered in response as her eyes closed in bliss and she leaned into my touch. _

"_What do you want Miss Elena?" I asked seriously. _Elena opened her eyes slowly, as if she were in a trance, and I held my breath waiting for what would come next. I'm touching her, holding her, and she's soaking in all my affection. Please, please Elena give me a chance. I know I can make you happy. Even if I can't experience your affection now, maybe I can later. Please. I knew my thoughts were stupid and weak considering this was all in the past, but I couldn't give up on her or my feelings. She just needs a push in my direction, then maybe, just maybe I could be happy for a moment of my life.

Just as Elena opened her mouth to say something, I registered the footsteps coming down the hall. "No." I hissed wide eyed as knuckles rapped on the door disturbing the moment. My gaze flicked to Elena and human me and I saw both of us tense in shock. I felt dread and anger pool in my stomach as the door started to swing open. I watched Elena rip herself away from me just as I felt a chilling sensation crawl up my spin and my vision started to go fuzzy. No, the memory can't end now; I need to know everything is okay! I need to know Elena is okay. And before I knew it, I blinked and I was back in the hall. I stood breathing heavily in the hallway full of doors as I stood up and stared at the door I had just come from. My brain was moving so fast I couldn't keep up and my body felt heavy from anxiety and stress. The only thing working seemed to by my ears; because all I could hear was the echoing sound of Elena's terrified heartbeat.

* * *

**Yay, another chapter done! Sorry for the wait, but high school has been keeping me busy. Anyway, there are more memories to come, so nobody worry. Since most of you wanted shorter chapters, I did as you asked. Now was that intense or what? I don't know about you, but I would be pissed and jealous in Damon's situation. Haha, he can't catch a break with Elena. First he's jealous of Stefan and now himself. XD So, what did everything think? I really hoped you all enjoyed because you have no idea how hard it is to write these chapters. So, thank you for reading and please do me a huge favor and leave a review. Reviews are always appreciated. So thanks again and I hope to update soon. ****:)**

**P.S. Who's excited for the start of Season 4 on October 11****th****? I know I am! :D Haha, yay for inviting 6 friends over for the premiere and making it into a party! I'm a cool kid. :) Anyways, thanks again everyone!**

**Love, Lioness002**


	25. Revelations Part 3

**Oh my gosh! To all of you wonderful readers I am so sorry! School just got so overwhelming and busy that this story was put on the back burner. I am so sorry everyone, there it no excuse for such a long wait in between chapters. For those of you that sent me messages, thank you. I appreciate the concern. Everything is fine I just have had a bunch of school projects and homework for the past few months. AP classes do that to you. Haha. Again, I am so sorry and I hope you can forgive me and still enjoy the story. In payment, everyone gets more flashbacks and memory reliving. Plus, we are getting closer and closer to the real story line once again…and Damon meeting up with Elena. ;) On top of that, this chapter will be very long so I am warning you now. I hope all of this is enough to make up for my absence. So everyone, please enjoy and I hope to hear your thoughts and comments when you are done reading. Enjoy! -I Own Nothing but the Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

While remembering all of these events with Elena has been enlightening, it is starting to piss me off. Not only is it because these memories are keeping me from actually getting to her, but because I am not the one reaping the benefits of her growing affection. I am not the one receiving her lingering glances or touches, no; I'm the one getting the second hand, play-by-play movie of how she is falling in love with my human self. Life is just twisted and unfair sometimes.

"_Why are you looking at me in that way? Is anything the matter?" _I heard myself ask worriedly as my eyes glowed with warmth and concern. Elena smiled faintly and gazed at me in a dazed state; she looked like she was really thinking about something or someone. Then again, that is also the sort of look I get whenever she tries to hide the fact that she is thinking about me or she is attracted to me, so either way that's a good sign.

"_No," she giggled softly after a moment. "I'm just thinking…again."_ I rolled my eyes and sighed. What's she thinking of, Stefan or human me? I have really hit a low if I'm getting bitter and jealous of myself. For once, I want Elena to acknowledge her feeling for me so I don't have to jump through flaming hops to earn a simple head nod or half smile. I want it to be real; I want to feel her love.

"_Of what?" I asked curiously as my brows furrowed in confusion. What could she be thinking about right now as she looks at me with her beautiful doe eyes? Is it wrong for me wish she is thinking of me? I shook my head faintly and smirked to myself. This woman continues to interest and astound me and I just cannot stay away. _

"_You." She answered after a few moments of silence. Elena brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled at me faintly. I would be lying if I said I was not heartened by the thought that she was thinking of me._

There was a quick jump in the memory as my vision blurred and the memory distorted. I lost sight of Elena and I felt fear grip me, I want to go back, I want to see what happens. She's thinking about me, she wants to know me. I blank rapidly for a second before I was hurtled back into the memory. What was that? I thought suspiciously before I heard Elena continue to speak.

"_You're interesting to me; you're different in this time than you are in the future." _Elena said blushing sweetly as she turned a faint cherry color. I felt my heart clench uncomfortably in my chest as I bit the inside of my cheek. Is this going to be a good or a bad moment for us? Usually when she talks about me she realizes her feeling are unimportant and she buries them because of her 'undying love for Stefan'. Right. But what does she think about me now? Do I care? I paused for a second before I shook my head and snorted. Of course I do, I wouldn't be standing here anxiously if I didn't.

"_How so?" I asked curiously as I moved slightly closer to her on the bed. _I gulped and moved closer to the scene, Elena's heart rate was steadily increasing and my human self's was racing. Am I excited to hear what she has to say as a human too? How strange.

"_Well, for one, you're a lot nicer…and less cocky." _I felt any and all hope crumble the second the words left her lips. Of course she would paint me in a bad light, and of course she would think I'm worse as a vampire than as a human. I'm the big bad self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities.

"_Am I? I've always been told I think to highly of myself." I mumbled self consciously as I stared at Miss Elena's angelic face. She trusts me so; I wish I could show her I feel the same. _

"_Well, later, when I meet you, your ego is sky high." She giggled awkwardly as I sat silently on the bed. I absorbed what she said for a moment before smiling softly and shrugging to myself. It's not as bad as I expected, a huge ego isn't the worst thing to come from becoming a vampire. Maybe I'm not so bad as a vampire. Vampire…I'm supposed to be a vampire. The word stopped my thoughts in their tracks and I sat puzzled. How is it that the idea still frightens me? Why does it make me feel so dead inside? Why does the idea of becoming a vampire suddenly feel so wrong? Have I hurt Miss Elena? _

"_Then why do put up with me if I am so horrid?" I asked trying to kick away my depressing and confusing thoughts. "I sound like a scoundrel." I said teasingly as I tried to hide my discomfort. Miss Elena's gaze cut into me and I knew she was watching my reaction closely. I gulped and averted my gaze; this information was bothering me, and for some reason it was as if Miss Elena could read my mind. It's as if she knew I was bothered by thoughts of the future. _

"_You are…sometimes." _Elena said pursing her lips in thought. _"More or less I think you are so cocky because you are afraid to let people in and actually feel." _Instantly I felt my eyes widened as I stared between Elena and my human self. Pain flashed across my human self's face, but I was more or less struck dumb. Since when had she come to this conclusion? Since when did she stop thinking I was just a jackass for no reason and decide there was another reason? Since when has she even cared? I'm not surprised she thinks there is more to me, I'm just surprised she actually can see the real me. I'm surprised she can get past my façade and realize it is actually a barrier. Elena, you continue to astound and amaze me. I'm cocky, sure, but the fact that she knows it's a ploy means that she's paying more attention than I ever gave her credit for. It's nice to know that someone is actually paying attention. _"But from what I've heard and now seen, I get it."_ She said sympathetically as her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Does she feel sorry for me? Does she really care about me? I blew out a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. The second I meet up with Elena in the near future, she is going to have some serious explaining to do.

"_You still didn't answer my question." I said as my eyes narrowed slightly at the nearby wall and my grip tightened on my knees. Stay calm Damon, just because she understands me does not mean she thinks I'm a terrible person. There is still a chance she can feel something for me. _Elena shimmied her fingers gingerly through her hair and bit her lip as she stared quietly at me. Those actions were two of her biggest tells, you could always tell when she felt uncomfortable or nervous when she did one or both of those things.

"_You're my friend." Elena said as she stared at me sadly. _I scoffed and crossed my arms, here comes the 'we're just friends' speech. Why does she have to bring that up every time we make any progress in our relationship? It's like she has to keep reminding me that it is always going to be Stefan because she is unsure about it herself. _"Hey." _She whispered suddenly crawling forward and taking my hand in hers. My attention instantly shifted to our connected hands and I felt my heart clench in excitement. Last memory we almost kissed after she took care of me and the sexual tension had been so thick you would have had to cut it with a chainsaw, any physical contact was just another opportunity for something to happen, so I was all for it. My human self looked startled at the sudden contact as I turned to look back at her. My eyes scanned over her uneasily and I faintly heard myself gulp. _"Nobody's perfect, Damon. You have flaws, and I have experienced them. You are impatient, you don't think before you act, arrogant, and very stubborn,"_ She said holding my gaze. I sighed and ran my hand over my face in irritation, how can we be so sexually charged while we have these awkward conversations? Is it because I am the third wheel that I feel so weird? I rolled my eyes and shook my head, it doesn't matter. I guess I have to remember to thank Elena for reminding me that I'm not perfect. Newsflash, this is nothing new Elena. I know I am a screw up, so why don't you just open up old wounds for me? Please, remind me why I am so unworthy of your love. I thought bitterly. _"But when you are with me,"_ she continued taking a breath, _"I see something so pure, sincere, passionate, and loving that it takes my breath away."_ I pursed my lips and smiled faintly, that was not where I expected this conversation to go. She thinks I have good inside of me? I take her breath away, and in a good way? My heart thumped happily in my chest and I couldn't help the smile that graced my lips, I can't believe she thinks I am pure, passionate, and loving. And I can't believe she is acknowledging my effort to change for her. I smiled and gazed warmly at Elena as my heart continued to sing happily. Call me a sap, but that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. No one has ever taken the time to realize that I have good inside of me, that is, no one until Elena.

I really need to sort out what I am feeling because my emotions are all over the place. It must be from my human self, that is the only possible answer. I have much better control over my emotions than this. Since I can feel some physical things, I must be able to feel emotional things as well. "_You show me the part of you that you hide from everybody else, and that is why you are my friend. I don't look at the negatives in a person, Damon, I look at the positives."_

And just like all the other times, the memory ended all too soon and I was hurtled out of one memory and straight into another. The last memory left me with questions, but it also left me feeling slightly better about Elena and me. We are still growing and connecting and she is still safe, I call that a win, win. However, if Elena only looks at the good in people like she said, why does she still hate me? Or does she? If she has felt and known these things all along, why hasn't she told me? Is she telling my human self all of these things because she is too afraid to say it to my face?

* * *

Once the memory and my vision cleared, I looked around and realized I was back in my room with Elena. It was brighter now, so this must be some time later. Elena was standing some distance away from my human self and glaring at me as she stood in nothing but one of my nightshirts. My eyes widened in surprise and I involuntarily licked my lips, she looked absolutely delicious in nothing but my nightshirt. Her arms were wrapped around herself tightly and I could tell that if my shirt was removed she would be almost bare for me. The idea made my mouth water and I instantly felt my body heating up. Her tan legs looked like they went on forever, and with her arms crossed across her chest her breasts were being pushed up in a tantalizing way. Did she not realize she was literally torturing me and that she looked like the epitome of sex?

The air in the room was full of sexual tension and it smelled like sex, but sadly, it didn't smell like Elena. No, it smelled like Katherine. Instantly understanding swept over me, and I felt like slapping myself in the forehead, Elena looked peeved because I slept with Katherine. But she's fine, so that means Katherine didn't find her, but that also means she must have heard and/or watched it happen. Instantly I felt guilt course through me, my own pleasure put Elena in danger. How could I have been stupid enough to bring Katherine to my room and have sex wit her when I promised to protect Elena?

My blood was boiling by this point and for the first time I was angry with my human self. How could I have been so selfish? No wonder Elena looks so scared and angry…. Angry? Why does she look angry? As I walked closer to Elena I heard her heartbeat racing, her cheeks were inflamed, and her eyes were red like she had been crying. She gazed at me stoically, as if she was trying her best not to scream in my face. Her jaw was twitching and I could tell she was using every ounce of her will power not to cry. She may have been scared of being discovered, but that wasn't the key factor in her rage. She was glaring at me like I had done something wrong, like I had hurt her in more ways than one. Was she jealous? Was she jealous that I slept with Katherine? That must be it, that is the only thing I can think of that would make her react this way towards me. I grinned deviously and rubbed my hands together in excitement. This could literally be the best thing that has ever happened to me.

"_You are different you know." _I heard myself murmur after a few moments of awkward silence. I watched myself get out of bed in boxers and boldly walk up to Elena. Elena stiffened and peered at me oddly, she looked incredibly confused by my comment. _"Different than Katherine." I said elaborating trying to soothe Miss Elena's ruffled feathers. I gulped and felt butterflies erupt in my stomach; I felt sick and nervous all at once. Why? What is my body and heart trying to tell me? Why does it bother me that I hurt her? I just met her. But still, how could I have done that? How could I have put her in danger for my own personal gain? She could have gone anywhere, but she came to me, that must mean something. "She is hard and possessive and cruel, but you, you are soft and sweet, more innocent. You have a feeling of warmth that draws me to you like a moth to a flame." There, that's it, I feel something for her. I chuckled in awe, walked away from her, and leaned against one of my bedposts. I care about her, I feel for her. Do I love her? "I've known Katherine for months and I've only know you for a day, but I feel as if I'm already falling for you." _

My whole body froze and I felt my mouth pop open in shock. Sure, I expected my human self to feel something for Elena, but not this fast. Why am I being so forward? Is this another one of those soul connection things? Shit, how is Elena going to handle this? The last time I even brought it up; she shut me down in an instant. She is terrible when it comes to confrontations, especially when they involve her precious Stefan. Well guess what Elena, your love isn't here to get you, I am. And everything had been going so well, but this right here will be the end of any and all bonding. Great. I sighed dejectedly and waited to hear Elena say that it would always be Stefan, human or not it will always be Stefan. I'm a moron to think that being human would make a difference.

I watched Elena freeze like a deer caught in headlights as her face flashed with a million different emotions. Her heart skipped a beat and I could practically hear the gears turning in her head as she absorbed what she just heard. I bowed my head slightly and let out a bitter laugh, oh well, it was nice while it lasted.

To my surprise Elena didn't freak out, she didn't even say anything; she just stood staring at me for a long time before she slowly made her way closer to me. Her bare feet thudded softly against the wooden floors as she got closer and closer to me, and with every step, her breathing and heart rate increased tenfold. My human self stood like a statue waiting for what she would say, my eyes tracked all over her face and body trying to determine what would come next. I was expecting to be rejected by her; I can read myself well enough to tell that. But what has me confused is the fact Elena isn't yelling at me or running away. Those are her go to reactions when it comes to my feelings for her. What the heck is going on? Does the fact that I am human really make that much of a difference? I held my breath as she stopped in front of me and her chocolate orbs scanned my face slowly.

"_What?" _She whispered softly as she raised a shaky hand and gently placed it on my cheek. For me it felt like a warm breeze or a ghostly touch, but I could feel it nonetheless. I let out a content sigh and closed my eyes for a brief second so I could just enjoy the second hand feelings I could experience from my human self. I might as well enjoy all of this considering it is technically me receiving it. Even my human self closed his eyes briefly and I wondered if he was as ecstatic about this as I was. Every touch was heaven and every time I heard Elena's heart race it gave me hope.

* * *

And just as soon as the content feelings came, they went. My eyes snapped open as Elena's warm touch disappeared and I felt the familiar sucking force as I was pushed into another memory. I stumbled through the portal and groaned and cursed under my breath, I had been enjoying myself. It's not everyday you get to realize the girl you love is jealous of your current lover. Speaking of which.

"_Damon, you slept with Katherine less than twenty four hours ago. I'm not doing this with you. If you really want me you are going to have to work for it."_ Elena declared stubbornly from my bed as she grabbed a piece of toast and took a bite. How I wish I could go back to before 1864, life was so much easier back then. And if only I could be with Elena right now instead of my human self. But is she actually playing along? Is she motivating me to try to win her over? Did she hit her head at some point? Is she compelled? What gives?

"_Then I will." I murmured stubbornly. I've never met a woman I haven't been able to woo, so winning Miss Elena over should be easy. But at the same time, I've never felt this way about any woman before, so this situation and these feelings are all new territory. I thought Miss Piece was the one for me, but I guess it just goes to show how quickly things can change. I know I care for Miss Elena, deeper than I ever expected I would when I found her in Mother's apple tree, but the real question is what does she feel for me? I want her to trust me, I want to be her comfort, I want to be here to take care of her. Every woman I have ever met has just been a game, a challenge or obstacle to conquer, but Miss Elena is different. Miss Elena is special, she is unique, and she deserves so much more than I can give her, but I will be damned if I don't try my best to win her over and make her see I can make her happy._

_Miss Elena nodded thanks in my direction as I handed her a fresh glass of milk. She snatched in quickly from my grip and smiled shyly at me before she took a small sip and grabbed another piece of bacon. We continued to eat in silence for a few more minutes, and I watched as life and color slowly started to slip back into Miss Elena's features. The food has done her wonders, and it just exemplifies how lovely she really is. Even in her current state, away from home and fearing for her life, she still looks like a goddess. Many would say she looks unbecoming is just a plain shirt of mine, but to me she looks like perfection. Just the sight of her tan legs peeping out from beneath my shirt is enough to set my blood boiling in more ways than one. Just the sight of her slightly tousled, but still beautiful, chocolate hair cascading down her back makes me itch to run my fingers through it, just the sight of her creamy complexion aglow with new energy and life urges me to touch her and hold her close. She is like a drug to me, she drew me in and now I am addicted. She is perfect to me and I crave to hold her, care for her, touch her. I want her. _

Elena reached out for one of the freshly grown orange slices on the tray and took a deep bite. I walked over to the scene and sat down on the bed across from Elena and beside myself. If I can't physically be here then I might as well make it as real for myself as I can. My eyes narrowed and I let out a sudden growl when Elena let out a startled squeak and delectable juice flowed down her chin and throat. My eyes tracked the movement of the sticky juice and I swear all my mind was telling me was to bite her. My inner vampire wanted to bite her while my inner man wanted to do nothing more than kiss away the juice and pleasure her until she couldn't remember he name. Elena's pulse spiked and she drew in a ragged breath as her eyes locked with my human selves. I turned to my human self and watched as my eyes turned almost black with lust and a low rumble reverberated through my chest. No human would have heard it, I don't think I even realized I did it, it was all on basic instinct and I was attracted to her.

"_Good orange." _She laughed nervously trying to lighten the mood. Elena drew in shallow breaths as her gaze stayed trained on mine and her grip tightened on the sheets by her side. Her pupils were dilated and it was so obvious she was turned on, and all it took was one of my smoldering gazes. At this point, I just want to walk up to Elena, shake her, and make her to come to her senses. She is attracted to me and there is no way she can hide it.

"_Hmm_," _I breathed nodding absently as my hand raised as if it had a mind of its own and my finger trapped the small drip of juice just before it escaped below the collar of her makeshift nightshirt._ I groaned at the sight and squeezed my eyes shut as I sped away from the bed and took some deep breaths to clear my mind of dirty thoughts. The image of my hands so close to Elena's breasts with her eyes closed in bliss will forever be branded in my mind, and all it does is make me itch all over to touch her. I let out an irritated hiss and threw my arms in the air in defeat. Is remembering all of this supposed to help or is it meant to be torture? How am I supposed to deal with watching myself touch Elena and have no real memory of it? It's like watching a stranger touch her and all it does is make me jealous. But this is just a vision, a memory, this is not really happening right now, get a grip before you lose it. I turned back to the scene expecting Elena to snap out of it and push me away, but all I saw as I stood mutely at the end of the bed was her let me bring my fingers to my lips, and suck away the little bead of juice I had captured off her body. _"I agree." _I heard myself murmur in a husky voice as Elena's pulse raced faster than ever before.

Elena's body shuddered in excitement as she watched me suck the orange juice off my fingers, but she quickly shook herself and let out a disgruntled breath. _"Damon, you can't do things like that!" _She hissed pulling my shirt more snuggly around her body to hide herself from view. Like she can be shocked I would do that when her body is placed so temptingly in front of me. _"That's too familiar!" She whispered desperately as if she were trying to convince herself of that fact. _

"_I was just trying to help you with that problem." I said innocently as I pointed at her chest where I had trapped the juice. I was desperately fighting the urge the lick my lips at the sight of Miss Elena before me and I couldn't understand why. Usually I have wonderful control over my urges, but lately, around her, I feel like I have lost all semblance of control. What is happening to me?_

"_Well I could have handled it myself." Miss Elena muttered crossly as she gave me a stern look and brushed her hair nervously behind her ear._

"_But where's the fun in that?" I pouted innocently as my gaze tracked all over her face. She didn't look too cross with me, so that's a good sign, maybe now is the best time to test boundaries. I want to play with her, tease her, make her want me. But what can I do? Suddenly a brilliant idea popped into my mind and I smirked to myself. My gaze landed on the tray of food before us and I scanned it looking for the one thing that would help me in what I was about to attempt. My eyes lit up as they landed on the small bowl of fresh strawberries and my smirk widened. I reached forward, grabbed a piece of the juicy fruit, and held it precariously above Miss Elena's head. "Here." _

_Elena's wary gaze cut into me curiously and she shifted nervously. "Are you going to feed me?" She quipped trying to hide the undertone of hysteria in her voice. _

"_Maybe." I chucked mischievously. Miss Elena rolled her eyes and reached for the strawberry but I quickly pulled it out of her range. "You must let me be a good host." I drawled doing my best to come off as an innocent and polite country boy._

_Miss Elena gave me an unimpressed look, but opted not to comment. "Fine." She huffed as I held the strawberry above her head again. _

Am I losing it, or am I really watching myself feed Elena? This is like something out of a fantasy. My whole body is tingling and I'm not even moving, I'm just standing at the end of the bed watching dumbstruck as Elena is literally letting me feed her. My mouth is as dry as sandpaper as I watch her arch her neck towards the delectable fruit and take a dainty bite. She smiles at me slowly, and as she removes the remains of the strawberry from her lips, she licks them in very suggestive way. She is so trusting of me right now, she's acting so free, but she is absolutely crossing the lines that she put in place so recently. It's like she really wants me to ignore what she said and pursue her with everything I have. I mean, she is practically seducing me and I have no idea if she even realizes it! All I know for sure is that I am slowly losing control of my emotions, mind, and body.

Suddenly the fruit disappeared and I watched my human self scoot closer to Elena on the bed. Touch her, please touch her, I want to feel her so badly it hurts. My vision was rooted on Elena as she froze at my sudden movement and her breathing stopped for a split second. I gulped as I watched myself trace a single finger down her cheek, then go under her chin to pull her head up slightly so I could leave butterfly kisses on her cheek. I closed my eyes and sighed in satisfaction as I faintly felt Elena's smooth skin against my lips. How I wish this was real and I could do it myself.

Elena's ragged breathing pulled me out of my trance and instantly I heard her pounding heart and watched as her chest quickly moved up and down. I stopped and stared into her eyes for a second, waiting for rejection or conformation to my actions. Please don't stop me; it's so obvious you want this. When my human self saw no rejection, I slowly trailed my lips from her soft cheeks down to her smooth and swan-like neck. Elena gasped and her hands whipped out to grab onto my shoulders for support.

"_Damon…" _She moaned closing her eyes and pulling me closer. _"I can't." _She whispered suddenly as she tried to shut this down before it even got started. I felt my heart shatter and instantly I knew what was coming next, Stefan.

"_Why not?" _

"_Because if I let you do this I'm afraid I won't be able to fight back my feelings." _Well that was unexpected. Her feelings? What feelings? What is she saying? And why hasn't she brought up Stefan? Where is all of this going? Do I have the right to be hopeful that for once I could actually be happy? _"And what I told you earlier…"_

I watched myself pause and pull back from her neck, and I wanted to groan in protest. I had been enjoying myself listening to Elena's mewls of satisfaction, it was like heaven watching myself kiss her neck and faintly feel her skin under my lips. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing, and that's the most action I've ever gotten with Elena to begin with, so who am I to complain? Even if I still wish I was actually present during the whole ordeal. _"Would you agree that you are from the future?" _

"_Yes? But what does that have to do with it?" _She asked softly with her eyes closed as I nuzzled into her neck affectionately. I had almost forgotten how good it felt to be cute with someone you care about.

"_Then all the confliction you are feeling is from that time, not this time. If I understand all of the information you have told me correctly, you should not be with me in this way, correct?" I asked innocently with wide eyes as I ran my fingers lightly over the exposed skin of her ankle. She shifted at the contact and smiled uneasily at me, it seems she is ticklish; I will have to remember that for future reference. I need Miss Elena to see that she can take a chance; I need her to see that she can take a chance on me. _

"_Right." Miss Elena said unsurely, not quiet sure where I was going with this. _

"_But you still are anyway. Miss Elena, you are free from all of your promises and tie downs, you are free to do as you wish." I urged staring straight into her warm chocolate orbs that I could get lost in forever. "Didn't you ever wonder what it would have been like to be with me?" I breathed wondering if she felt this way about me later. _

Has she? I know she is attracted to me, but the notion that she has thought about _us _feels like something out of a dream. She may not believe me, but I want that, I want there to be an us. Elena is worth fighting for and I will do everything in my power to prove to her that I am worthy. I will win you over in the end Elena.

* * *

**Yay, another chapter is done and out of the way! Phew, so much typing! Haha, so Damon got a lot to absorb in this chapter, huh? Three memories! And boy were they all over the place! Again everyone I am so sorry for the delay, but my mentality is that school comes first and Fanfiction second. I wish it was opposite, but my future and school are important. Anyways that is beside the point. I believe that the next chapter, but don't quote me on it, will be the last memory reliving chapter. There was a lot for Damon to remember, so I am not surprised it took so many chapters to get through all of it. Anyways, thank you to everyone who has stuck around and gave this chapter the time of day. Now that you are all done reading, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and will please leave me a review telling me how I did. So thanks again and I hope to hear from all of you next time! Thanks again!**

**Lots of Love, Lioness002**


	26. Leaving Memory Lane

**Okay everyone, please don't hate me! I know it has been forever since I have updated and I am so sorry for that. School has been insane and I just haven't had any time to sit down and write. On the bright side, I am updating now. :)**** So, without any further ado, here is chapter 26 of Lost in Time. Please enjoy and let me know what you think when you are done reading. Thanks to everyone who reviewed/messaged me and told me to get my butt in gear, it helped! Happy New Years! -I Own Nothing But the Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

In the next memory I was sucked into, I was greeted pleasantly by the sound of pure and honest laughter. I blank a couple of times before my vision cleared and I saw myself and Elena rolling around on my bed. I gulped and moved closer to see that my human self was tickling Elena with a passion. _Are we having a tickle fight?_ I wondered in astonishment as I watched Elena squeeze her eyes shut and tears of laughter began to leak from her eyes. She continued to laugh as I smirked in victory and kept up my assault. Apparently, Elena didn't like that, so she flipped me over with surprising strength and returned the favor.

I flinched as I felt her butterfly soft touch run across my body and I fought the urge to laugh. The next thing I knew both of us were laughing and rolling all over my bed. I pitied the fact I couldn't be the one making her laugh, I wanted this for her, I wanted her to be happy. _But why can't I be the one to make her happy, why does it have to be my human self?_

Then, just as I thought the both of us were about to fall off the bed I pulled one more twist and pinned her to the mattress. I watched the two of us sit in silence, my body hovering carefully over hers as her eyes bored into mine. The sexual tension was back and I could hear Elena's heart racing like she was hyped up on sugar.

"_Damon…" She whispered quietly not moving her gaze from mine. "I want you to kiss me." Silence. _My eyes widened and I felt all the air leave my lungs like someone had punched me. For someone who doesn't need to breathe I sure feel like I was scrambling for air. _She wants me to kiss her?_

She cleared her throat and I watched blood rush into her cheeks as she slid her gaze away from mine. _Don't just sit there, say something you moron!_ I growled to myself frantically, this is the first time she has acknowledged this thing between us. _This is the first time she has asked for it, don't be an idiot!_ I ran my fingers through my hair as I watched Elena pull her hands away from me and bite her lip. No! _"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"_

"_Shhh." _I heard myself murmur as I tilted her head up so she was looking straight into my eyes. I could hear her heart beating a million miles a minute and all it did was enrage and irritate me. _That should be me, not my human self. That me has no idea what to do with someone like Elena; it's like I'm in a deep dark cave and I have a search light while my human self has a match...I am a much better fit for her. Granted we are the same person, but still, I know her better than he does._ I sighed and rolled my eyes as I watched myself smile softly and gently stroke her cheek. _"Is that what you want? Are you sure you understand your feelings?"_

"_Do you?" _She whispered nervously as she shifted her gaze away from mine and bit her lip. As I stood and watched the scene before me unfold, I had to ask myself what it was that made Elena so much more willing to accept her feelings for my human self than me. _Sure, I am different in some ways, but essentially, I am the same person with the same personality and morals. It all can't be because I am human, can it? If only she knew, I would give up anything and everything to be human again. For me, for her. I want her to have a normal life…but I don't know if I can be selfless enough to let her go. Not that I have her to begin with, but she has to know she has to come back with me, right? She doesn't think she can stay in 1864 Mystic Falls, does she?_

"_Yes, I wouldn't be here with you unless I felt something for you. I have been with only you for the last week and a half and it does not bother me in the slightest. I am so…happy with you. I feel happier with you than I ever felt with Katherine. So, yes, I understand my feelings are more than just curiosity or friendship. I know that with a certainty. But what of you Miss Elena?"_ I watched myself pause self-consciously, my face a mask of absolute honesty and vulnerability. _"How do you feel?" _How does she feel?

"_I feel…I feel like…I'm falling in love with you."_ To say I was shocked would be the understatement of the century. I could feel myself getting slightly light headed and I sat down on the bed before something stupid or embarrassing happened. Not that it mattered since no one could see me, but I would not subject myself to the personal humiliation, Damon Salvatore is not a fainter. But…she said she was falling in love with me. With me…I have waited months to hear something even remotely close to that and I have to hear it second hand. I'm excited and elated, but at the same time, I feel downtrodden and almost numb. It could be the shock, that would explain why my mind and body feel so insensate, but it could also be disappointment. _How could she say it to my human self, someone she just met and won't ever see again? Why isn't it me?_ I suddenly felt rage boiling up inside of me, _why am I never good enough? Why is it that everyone I love chooses everyone else but me? I can win over any girl, except the ones that I really want, crave, love. What is so wrong with me? I am making myself a promise now, once I find Elena she is going to explain everything to me, sparing no details. I want to get to the bottom of this._

"_I feel the same." _I heard myself whisper distantly. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts to even be moved by the fact that I was being sweet and courteous or that Elena looked like she wanted to jump me. I was too emotionally tangled up to care about much of anything. I wanted Elena and I wanted her now, no more of this vicariously living through my human self. _I want the real thing, the real deal, I want Elena for myself. I want to show her I can be what she needs._

The next thing I knew I was back in the hall of memories surrounded by the sound of hundreds of buzzing voices floating out from the memories. No words or voices were clear, but all the voices seemed to remind me of how many people I was once close with, how human I used to be. I guess a nice normal life was never in the cards for me I thought ruefully as I gazed around the mythical hallway. _Boy, this sure will be a story. Maybe witch bitch can fill me in on what all of this is when I get to 1864 or back home, either witch will do._

I walked over to the next door and quickly wrapped my fingers around the cool metal and pulled the door open. I was met with the familiar sucking sensation and I closed my eyes waiting for whatever memory would surface next. _Funny thing is, I don't even remember feeling the pulling/pushing sensation from when I left the last memory, either I have gotten used to it, or something funny is going on._ I let out a sudden snort of dissatisfaction and shook my head, _I didn't even get to see what happened after Elena said that she was falling for me. It had to have been interesting. Oh well, I guess I saw everything I needed to see in that memory. I have decided that I am only experiencing the memories most important to my human self…the stepping-stones of Elena's and my quickly growing relationship. I am remembering these things because they are important to my human self and maybe even Elena. If nothing else, I will at least have some fun topics to bring up when I see Elena again._

* * *

In the next instant I opened my eyes and I was back in another memory. We were in my room and Elena and I were crouched on the ground leaning against my wall. _What the hell is going on?_ I walked over to see what was happening and stiffened at the smell of blood. As I looked closer, I saw that Elena had a bandage wrapped around here neck and a bit of blood had begun to seep through. The only thing that I could think of that would injure her neck would be a vampire bite…_Katherine_. The thought that Katherine hurt Elena pissed me off to no end, I didn't care if she created me or at one time I loved her, I wanted her to pay for Elena's pain. On further inspection I saw that my human self was slightly wary of Elena and my eyes were slightly wet. _Tears? Why would I be crying, I hardly ever cry…what would be horrific enough to make me cry? And in front of Elena no less._ My thoughts were interrupted by my own voice, thick with emotion and slightly shaky, but determined.

"_I…I would want you to kiss me." I said nodding my head slowly as I stared into the girls chocolate eyes. While she looks and acts like Miss Elena, I can't take the chance that this is not her; I will not subject myself to more unneeded suffering and pain. Losing her once was enough; I will not get my hopes up and then get them senselessly ripped away from me. I won't let myself feel anything for this imposter until I know 100% that it is Miss Elena. I gulped and internally shuddered at the sight of the broken women before me. She looked desperate, desperate for me to believe her story that she died and came back to life. I flinched and shook my head. The planet we live on is a strange and ever changing place, no one will ever be able to experience or knows the depths of all of the miraculous things that transpire. Well, no one but the lord above, but he is a higher being than that of man. So I digress. _

_All of this thought of life and death and the powers above only makes me yearn to know the truth about this girl with tear-filled eyes in front of me. I would be lying if I said I did not want it to be Miss Elena, I would give my life in trade for hers. I don't think I could live with myself knowing that I let her die when she came to me for protection. I promised to keep her safe, I love her too much to just let her go and give up, but I love her too much to accept her sudden appearance before me. I will not muddy her memory with Miss Pierce's methods of mind torture. I need to know it is her, that is the only way I will be able to react correctly to this highly stressful, emotional, and confusing situation I have been placed in. "That is the only thing I can think of to prove that it is really you Miss Elena." I said after a long pause. I will know once and for all if it is really her the second her lips touch mine, no one can duplicate the way it feels to be with her. This is a fail-proof test, there is no way mind manipulation could fake the way her soft lips feel against mine, or how our hearts beat in time together, or the silky smoothness of her skin under her fingertips, the way she sighs contently into my mouth as I touch her. No trick could duplicate the love I feel for her. "When you kiss someone you are connected in different ways and that is the only way I-"_

Before my human self even finished the sentence Elena was on me. My breath caught in shock, no matter how many times I saw it happen I would never get used to it until I experienced it myself. I could feel the ghost of her lips on mine and I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation. Her lips were hesitant at first, like she was afraid I would reject her, but they stayed moving softly against mine waiting for my reaction. I groaned in annoyance as she pulled away from me, expecting that to be all I received, but she surprised me and continued in her gentle exploration of my mouth at a new angle. I heard myself hum contently and I could suddenly feel her skin underneath my fingertips. I opened my eyes in surprise and found myself stroking Elena's cheek softly while she closed her eyes contently and let me have complete control of the situation. _It was my test after all, so I guess it made sense._ When I watched us pull away from each other, Elena's cheeks were rosy and my eyes were shinning in delight.

At that exact moment blackness blanketed my vision and I suddenly felt as if I were falling. Panic clutched at my heart at my sudden loss of bearings and I concentrated desperately on the memory. _Come back, go back._ I thought blinking my eyes rapidly in an attempt to get my vision back. Most of my senses did not return but I heard a muffled voice float up from somewhere in the memory.

"_Me? You think I am your soul mate?" _My voice, my own voice was asking if I was someone's soul mate. If it was the same memory then I had to be talking to Elena. _Why was she talking about soul mates? And why did she think I was hers? Did that only apply to my human self? What brought this up? Do vampires even have souls? A great philosophical question, but not the time. Could I be hers? Could I really be her soul mate? Could she really think we were meant to be?_ Even in the midst of my mini crisis, I still had the energy to be shocked. _And here I thought I had seen it all, apparently people really can change in the blink of an eye. All it takes is a trip through time._ I frowned, for a second pushed away my critical side, and just let myself feel, no matter how disastrous it could be to my psyche. _She said she was falling for me, so maybe there is a chance, a slim one, but a chance that she could truly and honestly be with me._ My heart clenched in desire and I let out a deep breath. _If only she knew I would do anything for the chance to make her happy._

And that's when the falling sensation stopped…when I slammed face first into my bedroom floor. "Ow!" I yelped irritably as I pushed off the floor and dusted myself off. "Stupid memory jumping…is nothing reliable these days?" I growled as I brushed hair from my face and looked around. Everything in the room was exactly the same as when I left expect for one shocking thing. I felt my mouth drop open like a weight was attached to it and I practically fell back on the floor. "No fucking way." I breathed. _I am seeing things, I have finally gone delusional, this all has just been some sick and messed up dream. That is the only way I can explain what I am seeing rationally. Any other reasoning or answer to this means that there is going to be some serious stuff being left out to dry when I see Elena._

I had been dreaming about this since the day I met Elena, but I never thought in a million years that this would be how I experienced her for the first time. My human self had Elena pinned up against the wall, her small but toned body pressed intimately into mine as her hands raked over my back and shoulders. The moans of approval slipping through her kiss swollen lips, the faint feeling of her pelvis gyrating against mine, and the growing scent of her need suddenly made my pants incredibly uncomfortable. I let out a choked gasp, sat down on the bed, and watched the scene before me unfold. I rested my elbows on my knees, bent my head forward and rested my head in my hands. _How had this happened? How could she let the human me touch her in this way while she avoids me like the plague?_ I was suddenly infuriated by the fact that I could feel every touch from Elena but it was meant for someone else, the human me.

"_Daaamon."_ She was moaning and groaning like she had never felt pleasure like this before in her life. She sounded like she was in heaven, in pure ecstasy as I heard a soft thump as her head fell back to rest against the wall. I looked up warily and saw her eyes squeezed tight from pleasure as my human self licked and kissed a careful trail from her porcelain collarbone to the juncture of her neck and up to behind her ear. While my human self didn't care, I could hear Elena's heart racing like never before, I could hear her blood pumping through her body. _Her blood, the whole situation, was suddenly such a temptation that I wanted out. I couldn't stand it any longer, I couldn't stand watching myself kiss her, hearing her moan my name and not have any real memory of it. I felt cheap, used even; I wanted to feel this first hand._

While I mulled all of this over, Elena and I had not given up in our sudden passion frenzy. I could feel every touch, lick, and kiss and all I wanted to do was run. Get away from this before I saw too much. _I had always expected myself to be elated at the prospect of sleeping with Elena, but right now, I just felt sick. Not sick because it felt wrong, or because I didn't want this, or because I rejected her feelings for my human self - no, it was because I was jealous. Jealous because another me got to be with her first and was making my inevitable attempt to win her over more difficult. I am being beaten by none other than myself. This time I can't blame Stefan, past prejudices, reputations, or previous mistakes. No, this time it is all me and it makes me feel sick._

When I watched myself stop behind her ear, kiss the sensitive flesh and lick around the shell of her ear I squeezed my knees. _Keep it together. _I thought as Elena groaned and I felt the ghostly sensation of her rocking her hips against mine and her hands winding around my back and clutching and clawing at my shoulders. Elena suddenly grew bold and skillfully unbuttoned my shirt and ran her fingers over my chest. I groaned at the touch and cursed these shared physical sensations, in any other situation this would be in heaven, but right now, it is closer to torture. I couldn't help but smirk as Elena silently ogled at my body, she was obviously impressed.

Elena shook herself, smirked, and suddenly dropped down out of sight. _What is she doing?_ And that's when I felt it, her soft lips burning a trail down my stomach and chest. When she was making her return journey, I watched myself hoist her up, roughly grip her hips, and attack her mouth with my own.

I sighed, flopped onto the bed, and stared at the ceiling in annoyance as I continued to share sensations with myself and hear our compound moans and groans. "Man, this is just painful." I groaned to myself.

Out of nowhere, Elena's lusty voice filled my ears. _God how I wish I could hear this again, and next time I hope it will be for me and me alone. "Damon…bed…now." _She gasped breathlessly into my ear as I felt her legs wrap around my waist. At the ghostly contact I jumped and practically catapulted off the bed just as Elena and the human me crashed down where I had been laying.

After a few more heated moments I watched myself break away from Elena breathing heavy. _"Miss Elena, we are-" Am I trying to stop this? Am I trying to warn her that I won't be able to stop if we go much further? Props to myself_ I thought snarkily.

"_I know what we're doing." _Elena insisted leaning forward and capturing my lips once again.

The next few minutes were a blur, all I could do was watch numbly as Elena and I pleasured each other. _This really happened, she slept with me and I didn't even get to be there._ Both of our hearts were beating uncontrollably, our bodies molded to each other like they were a perfect fit, and every touch felt like fire. I was a twitchy and nervous wreck sitting in the corner watching all of this go down. It's one thing to watch someone have sex, it's another to feel everything that is happening.

"_Shit." I growled flipping Miss Elena over and pushing her into the mattress. This woman is so beautiful, so perfect in every way. How she has come to me I will never truly know how, but I am grateful nonetheless. She looks at me in adoration and it is something I have never experienced, the feeling of being truly and wholly accepted and loved. She gazed up at me and licked her lips wantonly and it made me burn all over. She is the perfect balance of sweet, caring, cute, funny, independent, wanton, and everything else. She is perfect to me. _

_She leaned up slightly, put her hands on my shoulders and gently pushed away one side of my shirt. She looked at me shyly and I smirked in response as I stripped myself of my shirt. How cute she is, how considerate and lovely she is. We continued in our frenzy as her hands returned to exploring my body and our lips fused together once again. I took a deep breath and decided to be bold and see how she would react. I don't want to scare her away, I don't want to force her, I want her to feel comfortable with me and know it is all right to say no. I slowly slipped my fingers up her shirt, running them over her smooth stomach, and rested them on her chest. I stiffened at her gasp and I pulled away slightly to search her gaze._

"_Is this alright?" _

_Miss Elena nodded in acceptance and quickly wrapped her arms around my neck to pull me closer. I smirked and kissed the unwounded side of her neck as I gave her breasts a testing squeeze. I hummed in pleasure as my name tumbled out of her mouth in a breathy moan. Something that feels this right can't be wrong._

I watched Elena writhing beneath my body and all of a sudden I lost it, I couldn't take this anymore. I stood up as Elena ran her fingers through my hair and over my shoulders and I kissed a hot trail up her stomach. I watched jealously as she raked her nails over my shoulders, drawing the smallest bit of blood, and I sucked on her neck long enough to give her a hickey. A mark. A brand. A symbol of possession. I was saying she was mine. In all my life jealousy had never been a real concern of mine, but within the last few hours, days, minutes, however long I had been in these memories, it had become a real problem.

_I need to get out of this memory before I end up hating Elena and myself._

I took a deep breath and concentrated on leaving the memory, on breaking the cycle to get away from the pain and turmoil inside of me. I felt a faint tingling sensation as the memory started to get slightly fuzzy, but I wasn't getting out fast enough. I could still see myself touching her everywhere and her returning the favor, but it all seemed to be under a cloudy veil. The sensation sharing was declining and I thanked god for that, one more second of that and I would have exploded. I could only feel a bit of what Elena was doing to the human me, but if I was this affected now, really experiencing her must feel like heaven.

_Come on, end, let me go. I don't need to see this; I don't want to be jealous of this for the rest of my existence. I would much rather suffer because of Stefan than myself. Fade. Go away._ The memory was quickly fading with my added energy and it was dark enough now that I could only faintly see what was happening in front of me. The sound was all but gone and I could only hear dim whispers. I could make out our shapes faintly as we kissed and quickly stripped each other, Elena her pants and me my pants. Both of us were now clad in nothing but undergarments. We kissed, licked, touched, and even bit. Elena was riled up to an extreme and out of everything, I could still distinctly hear her heartbeat. It never slowed a second. We forced our mouths back together, our hands intertwined in a heated passion and that was when everything went black. There was a loud pop and I felt the familiar rushing sensation.

* * *

"_I love you." Elena whispered._

"_I love you too." I replied. _

Those were the last two things I heard before I was gasping for breath and I forced myself out of the memory. _It was too much; I couldn't stand the idea of being with Elena without experiencing it myself firsthand. No, out of everything I have seen I won't cheat myself out of experiencing her in a virgin way…so to speak. I don't want to go in with expectations; if we are ever together, I want it to be real and right. Not some comparison. Plus, I can't stand the thought of watching myself be with her, seeing her be connected to a past version of myself more than she is to me. It's like she thinks the human me is better than I am…which I guess she does think or else she wouldn't have slept with me._ A seed of jealousy planted itself in my stomach and I clenched my fists at my sides. _She will be mine, I'll show her I can be what she wants and needs. I will earn that 'I love you'._

I blew out a deep breath and tried to shake away the feeling of Elena's body on mine and the images of Elena pleasured by my hand. _All of this will be a thing of the past once I get to her, I will woo her myself. I won't rely on the work I did as a human, I will rely on my own strengths and charms, I want her to love me for me. I need to get out of here and get to her. That is priority number one, get to her and get her safe, emotional dramas will come later._

Once I had semi cleared my racing thoughts I noticed I was back in the memory hall and surprised to find that all of the doors were open. _Am I caught up? Is this all that I have missed with Elena? _I let out a chuckle of excitement and turned in a circle just to be sure all the doors were open, they were. I let out a relieved breath and saw the shinning light at the end of the tunnel once again. I bolted for the light and was enveloped by its warm glow in a matter of seconds.

All of a sudden, I felt a faint breeze carrying the familiar scent of wet grass. My eyes slid open and I found myself on my back gazing up into a starry sky. My brows furrowed in question and for a moment, I thought I dreamed the whole thing, but something deep inside of me pushed that thought away. Everything I had seen and experienced had been real, it had to of been.

I roughly pushed against the ground and got to my feet in one smooth motion. I let out a pent up breath and brushed grass off myself. I sucked in a deep breath, shrugged my shoulders, cracked my neck and looked around. _Well, I guess it's time to find my way home. But first. _I sped a dozen or so yards farther into the forest and once I concluded I was sufficiently hidden from society I smirked. I took in a huge breath and let out all of my pent up frustrations and stress in one loud yell. A few seconds after my echoing yell had ricocheted through the forest animals cowered in their dens and birds exploded from the tress.

"Oh, wow. So much better." I sighed under my breath as I checked my pockets and made sure I still had Elena's necklace. _Can't be losing the thing that will be getting us home_ I thought well naturedly as I took off in the direction of home. _While the scream may have been immature, it really had relieved my tensions. Better to seem foolish for a moment with no one around than lash out when I finally see Elena again. I have a lot of unanswered questions lined up for her, but safety takes precedence over my own selfish feelings…no matter how justified._ As the forest blurred by me I slowly realized I was starting to recognize my surroundings. _I just passed the clearing Stefan and I went hunting in as boys, the stream all the kids in the area would flock to in the summers, the hidden alcove cave that I had my first kiss in._ All of these memories came back to me in a rush and for a moment, it made me miss how normal my life used to be, but only for a moment.

I was outside the estate before I knew it, and for some reason it made me sad. _How things could change in 145 years, I remember a time when I thought this house would be here forever. That I would live and grow old here with my wife and children, die here even._ I scoffed under my breath and sped to the side of the house where my room used to be. I felt nostalgic as I climbed up the tree outside my room and peered inside, I had done this dozens of times in my life, when I snuck out to meet a girl, drink, gamble or just escape father and spend a night out in the woods. As my gaze flicked around the room, I saw myself in bed, dead asleep, but Elena was nowhere to be found. My heart jumped into my throat and I suddenly panicked. _Where is she? Did I miss something? Is she all right? Am I too late? _All of these questions and a thousand others passed through my mind in a matter of seconds. _No, no she has to be somewhere else. I would have remembered her leaving or dying from the memory sharing…right?_ That thought comforted me slightly and quickly scaled down the tree and jumped to the ground. _She has to be in another room…but the room selection at this time was very limited. _I thought thinking back. _There were only two rooms open, the room near the servants' chambers and the room down the hall from me. Father wouldn't have put anyone near the servants quarters unless absolutely necessary, so she had to be close. _I walked a few paces along the side of the house until I came to the next window over. I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to figure out how I would get up to the window. _I can easily jump up to the window, but what would I perch on?_ This part of the houses' face was completely flat and the roof was a few too many feet above the window, so I couldn't lean down and peer in. A thought suddenly came to me and I ran to the barn and returned a few moments latter with an old wooden ladder. I leaned it gently against the house so I wouldn't disturb anyone and quickly climbed up to the windows level.

I squinted and peered into the window and was relieved when I caught sight of Elena nestled comfortably in the sheets of the big bed. Her eyes were twitching in sleep, her dark lashes resting against her smooth cheeks, and her dark hair was splayed around her head on the pillow. She looked beautiful. My face softened and I felt my limbs relax. _She's all right, thank god. But now what? How am I supposed to get to her? I haven't been invited into the house and just appearing would probably scare her to death. This is a delicate situation considering that if I am caught I am as good as dead. _As I sat mulling over my situations, I heard the house clock ring dully through the house. At that instant something I never expected happened, Elena smiled and whispered my name in her sleep.

I gulped and pushed myself closer to the window just as Elena woke up and sat up sleepily in bed. She turned to look at the window as if in a trance and her gaze locked with mine. I froze in surprise and Elena just tilted her head in question.

"Damon?"

* * *

**And there we have it, chapter 26. Again I am so sorry for the wait, but I hope the chapter was worth it after all this time. ****:)**** So, Damon has met up with Elena, but what will happen next? How will he react with all of his new knowledge? When will he realize Elena and him never slept together? How will they get home? So many questions and they all will eventually be answered. ****:)**** So, I hope everyone had a nice New Years and that you enjoyed the new chapter. Please let me know what you thought by dropping me a review. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! ****:)**

**P.S. Thank you everyone for all of the reviews last chapter. I will send out thanks like always, but at a later time. It is currently 2:00 AM where I live so I need to sleep. Thanks again and the thanks will come soon. :)  
**

**Lots of Love, Lioness002**


	27. Am I Dreaming?

**Wow, a lot has happened within the last few chapters, huh? Damon sure got a lot of information about him and Elena. ****:)**** I am sure you all were very excited to get his reaction. Now, I know some of the memory reliving annoyed some of you, and I get it. However, for the purposes the memory reliving was important. None of what is to come would have been anywhere near as important if Damon hadn't seen it all. It would have felt flat and unemotional. Trust me; I was right along with you wondering when all of it would end. XD Oh well, that's a thing of the past now and I am updating once again. ****:)**** So, what will happen now that V-Damon and Elena may have seen each other? Stay tuned and enjoy! -I Own Nothing but the Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

The house clocks chime was what woke me up; whenever I am in a new environment, the slightest noise can startle me awake. While I have been in the house for a week or so I am uneasy, I was never so jumpy before because Damon was near. Now that I am here by myself, I am on edge. It's funny how I technically made myself safe, but now I am more petrified than ever. I rolled my shoulders lazily and as my eyes groggily opened, I sat up and yawned. I hadn't been asleep for long, but while I had been asleep, it had been wonderful. I had been dreaming about Damon, my Damon, the one who always protected me, loved me, made me laugh and cry in equal measure. The one I missed more than anyone. Would I ever see him again? While this human Damon was fun and new, there was something missing. Something in the back of my mind was screaming at me to put the brakes on, to detach myself from human Damon. It wasn't Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, or even my parents, I didn't care what anyone thought anymore, it was Damon. All of a sudden I felt queasy. Is it wrong of me to feel something for both Damon's, is that technically being unfaithful and unfair? I sat there dully for a second contemplating my sudden dilemma, what should I do?

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a form in the window and a shadow pouring across the floor. I clutched the blankets to my chest and turned slowly to look outside. My eyes were still blurry with sleep and my mind was pretty dull, but what I saw jump-started everything. My mouth gapped open as I locked gazes with Damon…who was outside my second-story window. On first instinct, I thought it was human Damon outside my window making good on his promise that we would see each other later tonight, but on further inspection, I knew that wasn't the case. I could see Damon from the waist up and I saw he was wearing a black button down shirt and leather jacket, not clothing you would find in the 1800's but the signature look of my Damon. His hair was different too; instead of wavy curls, his hair was more styled. But what really made me think it was my Damon outside the window was the look on his face, the burning eyes full of passion, relief, and love. This was the look of someone who hadn't seen me in ages, not the look of someone who saw me a few hours ago.

"Damon?" I whispered in questioning awe as the comforters slipped from my grasp. "Damon," I repeated slowly but more firmly as I blank sleep from my eyes and tried to clear my mind. "Oh my god." I whispered excitedly as I threw the comforters off me and walked briskly towards the window. I practically stumbled in my hurry to get to him, I was just thinking about him, wishing he would come and save me. What are the chances that he is actually here? That he heard my prayers and came here to save me, came here to be my knight in shining armor like always?

I got halfway to the window before a light but disrupting knock came at the door. I stopped in my tracks and turned to look over my shoulder in question. _Who could that be? _"Miss Elena?" Human Damon's worried voice floated through the door and I felt myself smile faintly. _Of course he would come to check on me…but I thought I saw…_ I turned back to the window and to my surprise, no one was there. My forehead crinkled with confusion and I walked hesitantly to the window. I pried the window open and shook my head upon seeing no one outside the window, let alone any proof anyone or anything was there to begin with. _I must have been dreaming, that is the only explanation for the manifestation of Damon's presence. That or I have finally lost it and my subconscious is haunting me. But he looked so real…so alive. Was it all just some really vivid daydream? _I sighed, leaned my elbows against the windowsill, and let my gaze scan across the dew covered grass below as the chilly breeze swept through my hair. My stomach rolled nervously and I bit my lip as I leaned out the window and peered left and right. _Something isn't right, I swear I saw Damon, but why would he just disappear? _"Miss Elena, are you awake?" Came Damon's hushed voice through the door. I shook myself out of my thoughts skeptically and turned to the door, I was just seeing things, Damon couldn't be here, or at least the vampire version couldn't. I was stuck here and I have to start accepting that, my chances of going home are one in a million.

"Coming." I whispered in a rush as I tip toed to the door and unlocked it as quietly as I could. I poked my head around the door and forced a smile at Damon who was looking up and down the hall in an extremely nervous fashion. When his gaze locked with mine, he visually relaxed. "Hey." I whispered quietly as I pulled the door open farther and he sashayed in. "You look stressed, what's up?" I asked anxiously. _Is something going on? Did he see something or someone too? What is going __**on**__!_

"Nothing," Damon sighed after a second, "I just didn't want to be caught entering a ladies chamber late at night by a pair of prying eyes." He said with a devilish smirk. I flushed and felt my face and insides grow warm. _If that smirk doesn't mean trouble, I don't know what does. _I thought comically as I rubbed the back of my leg with my foot and gave a fleeting glance at the window discreetly.

"Oh, because that would be such a scandal." I said distractedly as I closed the door behind him with a soft click. _Get it together Elena and focus, what you saw was a trick of the light, an apparition, not a time traveling Damon Salvatore from the 21__st__ century. _Damon stopped in the center of the room and let his gaze track over me as I looked over his shoulder and saw the curtains blowing slightly in the still open window. _I forgot to close the window and now I am regretting it, it's freezing in here. _

"Hmm, it would be." Damon mumbled coming closer to me with a faint smile. I pulled my suspicious gaze away from the window and giggled lightly as he brushed my hair behind my ear and leaned me against the door.

"Do you need something?" I asked cheekily as I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked up at him with laughing eyes.

"Yes," was all he said. Damon sighed and shrugged self consciously as he turned his cerulean gaze on mine. "My chamber was so lonesome without you." He said honestly as he chewed on the inside of his cheek nervously. Normally I would have expected a smart-ass remark, but I had to remember that this Damon was a bit more reserved when it came to crude teasing and sexual innuendos. He actually seemed uneasy, like he thought I would be angry with him for some reason.

"Is that so?" My insides bubbled with a dull warmth and I smiled. _He missed me, it's so sweet. _

"It is." He murmured trailing his fingers down my cheek lovingly. "It was odd to not have you near; it seems I have grown accustomed to your presence in the past few weeks." He gave me a crooked smile and laid his burning eyes on me as he ran his fingers teasingly down my exposed arm.

"So, is that your way of saying you want me to stick around?" I asked cocking my head to the side and giving him an amused expression.

"Only if you want to…but yes." He mumbled grabbing my hand and pressing a soft kiss on the back of it. I wanted to melt right there, chivalry in any time so is sexy. I guess it affects me so much because it is familiar, it such a blatant marker of the time that Damon and Stefan grew up in. The first time I met Damon at the Salvatore Boarding house he kissed the back of my hand and to this day I remember thinking how strange and different he was form anyone I had ever met before. He was so…enticing then, I was drawn to him instantly and I never knew why. He just had that charm, that draw, that dark and dangerous undertone that excited me. I just wanted to figure him out, understand why he was the way he was. And now I have been given a gift, a firsthand account of his life.

"Oh I don't know, I may need some convincing." I purred as I ran my fingers nimbly up and down his chest and smirked suggestively.

"That can be arranged." He grinned as he caught me off guard and swooped me into his arms. I let out a shocked squeak and buried my head in the crook of his neck to keep my laughter from erupting out of me. We don't need any unwanted visitors.

"Damon!" I hissed urgently in his ear as he carried me swiftly to the bed. "Damon, someone could hear!" I protested weakly as he laid me down and laid over me all in one swift movement. I flushed at feeling his body against mine; it was a nice contrast to the chilly wind seeping through the open window.

"I promised earlier we weren't done here. Do you wish me to leave?" He asked me evenly, but I knew he was waiting for me to send him away…like Katherine. _God, I've gotten to the point where I can't deny him anything. But how can I when he looks at me with so much vulnerability in his eyes?_

"No, I'm just worried of what would happen if someone…you know…saw us together like this. What would that do to your reputation?"

Damon raised a disbelieving eyebrow and smirked. "Do you really think I care what they say? And we won't be caught; no one but Stefan, Miss Pierce or I am awake at this time. And Stefan is with Miss Pierce…ergo…."

"We don't have much to worry about." I submersed happily as I felt some tension leave my body. _A few minutes of freedom won't kill me. This is exactly what I need, some time to revel, some time to live life and enjoy my time with Damon. After all of this stress and heartache I deserve this…. _I looked up at Damon's content and glowing face and thought of his abusive father, his romantic drama, and all of his past turmoil. I did this, I made him smile, made him laugh, made him feel appreciated and loved. I arched up to meet his lips sweetly and thought, _we both deserve this._

"Uh huh." Damon murmured arching down and placing soft kisses on my neck. I hummed contently as I twined my fingers through his inky locks and smiled as I drew random shapes on his back. We stayed like that for a while, just basking in each other's presence, not in a hurry, not stressed, just being. After a short while I ended up curled in his embrace, my back to his chest, my head resting on his arm and his other arm wrapped securely around my waste. Damon's fingers were absently trailing over my silk covered stomach and we both were beginning to doze off when a faint thud on the side of the house caught my attention. I tilted my head up and looked out the window expecting to see a bird or animal, but all I saw was a dark form that seemed to evaporate the second I laid eyes on it.

"Did you see that?" I squeaked as I bolted forward and stared at the window. I crawled away from Damon, slid to the side of the bed, sat, and stared at where I had seen the shadow. _There had been something there again; I wasn't imagining it, right? _Damon was next to me in a second looking at the window and then back at me concerned. He gently reached out, cupped my face, and turned my gaze to meet his. I strained my gaze to peak at the open window, but when my gaze does meet his, his eyes are swimming with concern. He strokes my cheeks lightly, sweetly, soothingly.

"See what?" He murmured softly, sparing a quick glance at the window before returning his attention to me. I gulped and shrugged softly as I grabbed his hand and played with his fingers gently to keep myself distracted. "Miss Elena, talk to me please, all I wish to do is help."

I looked up slowly and blew out a shaky breath. "I…I thought I saw something…outside the window." I said with difficulty as Damon grasped my hand lightly and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You didn't by any chance happen to be outside my window tonight…did you?" I laughed nervously as Damon rubbed comforting circles on the back of my hand. Damon paused for a second, in shock or thought I wasn't sure, before shaking his head.

"No, why?"

"Just wondering." I mumbled trying to brush the sighting off as just a trick of the light or my imagination. However, the feeling in my gut wouldn't go away, something wasn't right. I was missing something.

"This something you saw…was it a bad something?" Damon asked worriedly as he glared at the window in thought.

"No…just a surprising something," I sighed after a second of thought. I didn't want to worry him; it was probably just my imagination, a dream clinging onto my subconscious longer than normal. Damon stood up and walked over to the window, brushed the curtains out of the way, and poked his head outside. I held my breath and waited on the bed until he pulled his head back inside.

"Come here and look outside." He said calmly as he held his hand out for me. I nodded, slid off the bed and grabbed his hand. He pulled me in front of him and we both sat staring out the window at the slowly rising sun. Outside the pitch black had started to recede and the sky was beginning to turn a plume purple disrupted by spurts of flaming orange every now and then. "I didn't see anything out of the ordinary, Miss Elena. But the sun is rising now, and even if there was someone there, they are gone now. Remember that everything looks better in the light of day."

I snorted and rolled my eyes. "You know better than that," I said nudging him teasingly. He leaned his head on top of mine and I felt his lips pull into a smirk as he kissed the crown of my head.

"Yes, but it sounds good doesn't it?"

This time I really did laugh, leave it to Damon to make me feel better no matter the circumstances. "Yeah, yeah it does," I sighed leaning into his embrace.

"You're probably just tired," Damon suggested as he pushed the window closed and pulled me back to the bed. "I would be seeing things too if I went through what you did. Now come on and relax, nothing is going to hurt you, not while you are with me. I promise." He said sincerely as he pulled the covers away from the bed and tucked the both off us under them. I smiled and nestled myself as close to him as I could and pulled the comforters around us more securely. _Our own private cocoon. _

"I believe you," I sighed as warmth began to spread through my body and sleep began to take its hold on me. "Goodnight," I mumbled as my eyelashes fluttered closed and I took hold of Damon's hand.

"Night," he sighed back before we both fell asleep.

* * *

Later that morning after I woke up, maybe around ten o'clock, a few hours after Damon had slipped away, I was getting ready for the day. As Giuseppe had promised the night before, some servants had come in and ran a bath for me early in the morning. It was odd for me to bathe in the presence of someone else, let alone having to command them to do something for me. I was an awkward mute as I soaked in the washroom, soaping myself and trying my best not to seem foolish or ignorant. Damon had warned me that people of class in this time had things done for them all the time, I just never expected them to do normal mundane things that I could easily do myself. I didn't know how to act or what to say, so it was my saving grace when one of them offered to wash my hair; I just hoped she thought my reluctance for help was more nerves than ignorance.

Once I was clean and dry I was wrapped in a cotton bathrobe and ushered back into my room. My dress for the day had been laid out, my bed made, and everything in the room tidied. I almost did a double take at the vase full of wild flowers in the corner of the room. All of this had been done so quickly I hadn't even heard a peep of sound from the other room as all of this had been going on. _Take about efficiency._

When I was dressed in a fair blue dress with hints of silver and black, colors that apparently flattered my blue eyes, my helper stepped aside. I sat staring at my reflection and pursed my lips; I had almost forgotten that people saw me differently than I saw myself.

"Do you require anything else Miss?" She asked politely as she clasped her hands at her front and gazed at me expectantly.

"No, that will be all." I said as politely as I could as I swiveled on the chair away from the mirror. "Thank you for your time." The servants face showed shock for a second before she masked it up, curtsied quickly, and left the room.

I looked after her oddly before grabbing a brush from the vanity and pulling it softly through my chocolate hair. _Why did she look at me like that? Was it my thank you? Is something like that rare? I was just trying to be nice. _I sighed and shook my head. _It's too late now, and I guess I don't really need to worry about it. What's the worst thing that could happen? People think I am nice? Oh, the horror._ I thought sarcastically as I switched brushing sides.

I continued brushing the tangles out of my newly washed hair until a light tap met my ears. I stopped with the brush midway through my hair and turned hesitantly towards the window. My brow furrowed gently as I put the brush down and pushed up from the vanity. I looked at the door and once I knew I was alone and the door was closed, I went to the window, pushed the curtains aside, and opened it up. I looked around expecting to see someone, maybe even my dream Damon, but I deflated when no one was there. I let out an annoyed breath and was about to close the window when I looked down. There on the sill, looking for all intensive purposes as if it belonged there, was a sleek black feather.

On any other occasion, I would have brushed it off as any other feather, but after the night I had had, after seeing, or thinking I saw Damon, something inside of me stirred. The feather was too perfectly placed; it was right in the middle of the sill and perfectly parallel to the window. The feather itself was in impeccable condition, not one follicle of hair was bent or frayed, it looked clean and pristine. With shaking hands, I reached down and picked up the feather, it was light but sturdy, dark but beautiful. Reflecting in the morning light, the feather that was the darkest black I had ever seen before, looked like a rainbow. The sheen reminded me of an oil spill; every angle cast a different hue on the black feather.

I traipsed my fingers over it lightly and was surprised to find it was soft, almost as soft as Damon's hair. Usually I would have left a feather where I found it, my parents always told me to never touch feathers because they were dirty, but something inside of me told me to hold onto it. I was too intrigued by the sudden appearance of this beautiful feather to let it go. Surprisingly it was comforting, almost familiar in a way. It reminded me of Damon…the one that visited me in my dreams, the one that made me burn, the one who protected me even at the cost of his own life, the one who knew me better than anyone…the one I may never see again.

After a few moments of circling thoughts I shook myself back to reality and decided it was time I joined the Salvatore family and Miss Pierce for breakfast. _Oh goody, _I thought as I blew out a breath and squared my shoulders.I thought about closing the window but decided against it and settled for clasping the curtains away from the window, I wanted to air the room out a bit anyway. Once I wandered away from the window, I stopped next to the bed and looked at the feather one last time.

"Why do you seem so familiar?" I mumbled under my breath as I twirled it nimbly between my fingers. After coming up short on explanations, I shrugged, pulled up the farthest back pillow and placed the feather underneath for safekeeping. _I will figure this out. You mean something, I just don't know what. _

And with that I smoothed out my dress, plastered a shy smile on my face, and headed downstairs for probably one of the most stressful and awkward breakfasts of my life.

* * *

**Whew, done! All right everyone, before I get to chapter questions and comments, I need to thank everyone. Last chapter I got 45 reviews and I was so blown away. 45 reviews is such a huge review number for me and I guess I just wanted to thank all of you wonderful readers out there for being so supportive. It means so much to me that you take the time to tell me what you think, in honesty, it really does help motivate me to write more and faster. So thank you everyone and I hope we can keep the reviews, input, and interest going. How cool would it be to reach 50 reviews for one chapter!? 0-o I think my head would explode. XD As for this chapter, why didn't Damon show himself? When will Elena realize Damon is really there and she isn't seeing things? All these questions and more will be answered soon. ****:)**** So thanks again everyone for reading this new chapter, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments; please don't be afraid to drop me a review! ****:)**** So thanks again and I hope you enjoyed! **

**Until Next Time, Lioness002**


	28. Stolen Moments

**Hey guys, I'm back! Yay for mid winter break and free time! Thank you for all of the reviews and support for last chapter, it means so much to me. ****:)**** So, last chapter Damon finally found Elena, but he didn't show himself. Why? Elena thinks she is seeing things, but will she ever know Damon is really there? All these questions and more will be answered soon. So I hope everyone enjoys and please leave me a review when you are done. Thanks and enjoy! -I Own nothing but the Idea -Lioness002**

**Note: I am apologizing for any errors now, I am brain dead after writing for hours straight. Please don't hate me!**

* * *

Breakfast was just as expected, slow and awkward. I kept silent for most of it, only speaking when spoken to and staying all but mute. I caught Giuseppe giving me suspicious glances every now and then, but I simply smiled faintly and ate my food gratefully. No one besides Giuseppe was really all that surprised I was so quiet; I was the innocent girl who had been attack by a 'demon' and was now living in a stranger's house. They expected me to feel uncomfortable until I settled into the house and got to know the people who resided inside of it. Nonetheless, even with my best attempt to fit in, Katherine was making that near impossible.

All of breakfast she tried to bring up questions about my past: where I was from, where my family was, why I was in Mystic Falls, etc. On the surface her questions seemed innocent, but I knew better. She was deliberately making my life difficult hoping I would screw up. The more of a story she forced me to spin, the more likely I was to slip up on a small detail in the future. She was crafty, but I wouldn't let her beat me. I would force a pleasant smile, stretch the truth as much as I could, and play along with her little game - for now.

"So Miss Elena, how are you feeling this morning?" Damon asked veering the conversation away from my past life and onto a safer topic of discussion. I wanted to give him a thankful smile, but I caught myself as Katherine gave me a chilling smirk from behind her napkin unbeknownst to anyone else.

"Much better, thank you Mr. Salvatore." I said politely as I dabbed at my lips daintily with a napkin and straightened in my seat.

"You gave us quiet the scare the other day. I'm glad to hear you are recovering." Stefan piped up from the other side of the table.

My gaze flicked to him and I did my best to smile at his concern; always the gentleman. "Thank you." I said softly as I pierced a piece of fruit with my fork and popped it into my mouth. His gaze stayed on mine but I was the first to look away, it felt like too much effort. Why is it all of a sudden so hard to pay attention to Stefan? Shouldn't I be a little more interested in the human Stefan? I am still dating him later…right? Shouldn't I be interested in his similarities and differences just like I was interested in Damon's?

I gazed discreetly at Stefan and couldn't help but think about how young he really was now. He was just as young as me, he hadn't been corrupted by suffering or known any real hardship, he was just a teenager. How could I really trust him? Especially when he is obviously so enthralled with Katherine? The more people who know my secret, the more likely it will be for the secret to get out.

"So, Miss Elena, since you haven't really had a chance to explore, would you like a tour of the house and grounds?" Giuseppe suddenly asked setting his fork down a little too roughly on his plate. I flinched at the sharp sound but met his eyes as confidently as I could. His eyes bored into mine, trying to search my soul and dig up and expose all my secrets.

"That would be…agreeable." I finally said with a shy smile. From down the table I could practically feel Damon radiating tension and I wasn't much different. I didn't want to go anywhere with anyone, but I had to keep up appearances and it would be rude if I turned Giuseppe's offer down, so I agreed. I didn't dare look at Damon so instead I reached for my glass and took a sip of orange juice. Strangely, as I put the glass back on the table, Giuseppe nodded to himself and visibly relaxed. "You have such a lovely estate; it would be a shame to not show it off." I said trying to move the conversation along.

Giuseppe's mouth twitched marginally before he nodded proudly. Nothing gains confidence like a little flattery. "A fine point Miss. I am sure one of my sons will be willing to show you around. Won't you boys?" He said a little more gruffly. Stefan nodded enthusiastically like an obedient puppy and Damon simply shrugged before giving me a knowing glance. "Good. Now who would like the honor of escorting Miss Elena?" Katherine yawned and gazed indiscreetly at Damon, just waiting for him to pipe up. Before anyone really had time to react, Stefan cleared his throat and leveled curious eyes on me. Everyone at the table besides Giuseppe froze in shock.

"It would be a pleasure to escort Miss Elena for the day." Stefan said pleasantly. My throat became instantly sticky and I watched as Katherine tried to mask an outraged glare in Stefan's direction. Below the table I was twisting my napkin nervously between my fingers as Damon narrowed his eyes in Stefan's direction. _Why does Stefan want to be around me? What about Katherine? _I gulped and tried to hide my obvious disappointment and shock.

"Thank you Stefan." Giuseppe said proudly as he smiled fondly at his favorite son. Damon and I shared glances and I could visibly see him fighting his temper. My gaze softened and I tried to convey my apologies but he wasn't taking it, he was too concerned with starting a fight.

Damon cleared his throat loudly and Giuseppe turned irritably to give him a displeased glance. "Yes Damon?"

"Father, I thought Stefan was to help you with estate affairs today? I would gladly take his place and escort Miss Elena."

Giuseppe frowned and tried his best to fake an endearing smile. "Stefan deserves a break every once and a while Damon, he is _always _helping with the estate. Certainly you could take his place today, just this once?"

I watched Damon bite the inside of his cheek to fight the urge to give his father a dirty look and nodded curtly. "Very well Father, I will get right on that." He bit out as he stood up abruptly, left the table, and stormed into the study. Giuseppe let out a disgruntled gasp, turned and looked at where Damon had exited, and let out a hissed breath.

"That fucking boy." He hissed under his breath thinking no one would hear him. I twitched in my seat, trying to ignore the flames running rampant in my stomach as Giuseppe cleared his throat and did his best to recompose himself. "I am terribly sorry for my son's outburst; I hope you will not think our whole family as short-tempered as he is." Giuseppe said softly to me. I did my best not to flinch as I fought back the bile in my throat. God he made me sick.

"No…no Sir, of course not." I said as calmly as I could when I knew Damon was stewing in the other room. I could practically feel his rage from out here, either I was acutely aware of his suffering or everyone could feel the suffocating rage boiling through the room. Looking around and seeing that no else seemed that uncomfortable I concluded it was just me feeling this way.

"Well, now that that is out of the way, what of you Miss Pierce? Would you wish to join Stefan and Miss Elena?" Giuseppe asked landing fond eyes on Katherine. _Please say no, please say no_, I silently begged as I sat rigidly at the table and waited for her answer. My day had already taken a turn for the worse; I didn't need a bonus round of misery from Katherine.

"Thank you kindly Mr. Salvatore, but after the mornings events I am feeling quiet faint, I believe I will retire for the time being. I must save my energy for the gathering this evening." She said standing up and curtsying politely. "It was pleasant to make your acquaintance _Miss Elena_." Katherine purred with dangerously flashing eyes.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and cracked a smile. "The same to you _Miss Pierce_." And with that, Katherine smiled at Stefan and Giuseppe in turn and gracefully swished her way out of the dining room. Giuseppe took one last sip of his coffee before heaving a heavy sigh, pushing up from the table and taking his leave.

_Three down, _I thought glumly as I pushed uneaten food around my plate. I couldn't make myself meet Stefan's gaze, it just felt wrong for some reason. Damon is the one that has been protecting me all this time; he is the one that has risked everything to keep me safe. I should be with him right now, he shouldn't be cooped up inside with his abusive father while I go explore with his brother. Stefan cleared his throat and jarred me from my thoughts as I forced my gaze up.

"Miss Elena, you realize you don't have to walk the grounds with me, it was just a suggestion." Stefan said gently. I sighed and shook my head, if only this was a few weeks ago when I was still one hundred percent devoted to Stefan, it would have made this exchange that much easier. Now looking into his emerald eyes filled with concern and kindness, all I wanted to do was to stare in Damon's cerulean orbs. Damon made me feel safe and secure, Stefan just felt like an obligation, like a distraction in this time. A ticking time bomb that could go off if he so much as heard a whisper of too much information about me. I knew from all of the stories that I heard from both Salvatore's that Stefan always meant well in this time, but he was too narrow sighted, too young. He focused on the things happening right in front of him, not the big picture. He only wanted to help, but across the board he made things worse without intending too. Exhibit A, getting Katherine caught by talking to his father. Exhibit B, making Damon hate him by forcing him to turn. "Miss Elena?"

I shook myself and forced a laugh, it sounded wrong to my ears but Stefan relaxed so I guess it sounded real enough. "A million apologies Mr. Salvatore, you caught me while I was stuck in my own little world."

The corner of Stefan's mouth curled into a fond smirk and I couldn't help but be haunted by the thought that Damon did it better. "All is well. Do you wish to see the estate or do you wish to retire? Whatever you chose is fine by me."

"It would be rude of me to reject such a lovely suggestion." I sighed brushing a few stray hairs behind my ear. "So…I think I will join you in a tour." I was interested to get a good look at the place, it was beautiful and it would be waste to never really see the outside of the house I had been hiding out in for weeks.

"Wonderful." Stefan sighed pushing away from the table and standing up. He walked around the table and stopped behind my chair. My eyes darted back and forth nervously as I waited for him to do something. After a few seconds, I felt the chair scoot back slightly and I began to rise. He was helping me up I suddenly realized. Suddenly Stefan's hand wiped into view and I gulped lightly as I took his hand and he helped me up.

I let out a deep breath and let go of his hand the second I was standing up. "Thank you." I said politely as I gave him a quizzical look. Sure Stefan had always been polite, but he seemed to be trying really hard at the moment. Why? He couldn't be interested in me, could he?

"You are very welcome Miss Elena. Now, we can start in the house, the rose gardens, the stables, or the pond." Stefan said cheerily as he extended his arm and gestured for me to follow him. I bit my lip and turned over my shoulder one last time to stare at the study. I just hoped that Damon would be alright by the time I got back. Who knew what could happen with only Giuseppe and Damon in the house.

"The rose gardens sound…divine." I finally murmured turning away and following slowly after Stefan. I had a feeling that this would be one of the longest tours of my life. "Let's start there."

"As you wish Miss Elena." He said turning towards the French doors and leading me outside into the sunlight. Once outside I walked down the stone steps, followed closely after Stefan as he crossed the gravel path, and continued around the side of the house. I shuffled after him as quickly as I could without tripping and stopped in bewilderment once I was face to face with the rose garden.

"Wow," I whispered in awe, "It's beautiful." I walked up to the closest bush and pulled a blood red rose close to my nose and inhaled, it smelled divine. As I stepped back with a small smile I could see that each bush housed multiple rose buds, some in red, some in pink, some in white, and some even in yellow. It was truly a marvel; this beautiful garden held such a feminine touch that it surprised me and made me wonder who made it. _Certainly not Giuseppe or the boys, so it had to be someone else. Their mother perhaps? It seems fitting from the things that I have heard. _

"It sure is." He said staring right at me with a smile and an unrecognizable look in his eyes. I fought the urge to give him an odd look and I settled for a forced smile that probably looked more like a grimace. Stefan however didn't seem to notice so I must have pulled off a somewhat decent smile. "It's a maze; would you like to go in?"

I pursed my lips in thought as I stared at the perfectly manicured waist high bushes and shook my head. _Yeah, it's a real maze alright. _"Alright, but only for a bit, I would still like to see the rest of the grounds and the house if it is not too much trouble."

"It is no trouble at all. Now, right this way." Stefan said ushering me towards the maze opening by placing his hand on my lower back and propelling me forward. I fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably and I stepped away from his touch. He was acting a bit forward…not as shy as I would expect. It felt wrong and it made me miss Damon, around him I felt so comfortable and secure. Around this Stefan I felt odd…like I was obligated to act a certain way while he had an ulterior motive.

"Miss Pierce mentioned something about a…gathering tonight? What did she mean?" I asked trying to get a conversation started as I shuffled next to Stefan and we walked slowly through the hedges in the rose garden.

"Oh," Stefan mumbled softly as his brow furrowed, "It's a town event."

"Oh, how interesting. Is there any significance to this gathering?" I asked sneakily as I gave Stefan a sideways glance through my lashes. Stefan ran his fingers through his hair in thought for a second before shrugging and shaking his head.

"No…no I don't think so. The last town gathering was for our first annual founder's day celebration, so it seems unlikely that there would be another important gathering so soon. This gathering is just for…fun I guess you could say. Well…for most people at least." Stefan mumbled mysteriously. _He must be talking about a counsel meeting, _I thought as we twisted and turned our way through the paths of the maze.

"What do you mean if you don't mind my asking?" I asked folding my hands in front of me as I tried to weasel some more information out of him. Well at least one good thing has come from his young age; he is much more trusting of people.

"Oh, well, I guess you can know since everyone kind of knows about you anyway…. The woman and gentlemen that were at the house during your attack was the town's counsel. That is more or less what tonight is, a counsel meeting with a more relaxed vibe."

"I see." I said as we stopped at the end of the maze where a marble angel statue and bench rested. I absently traced my fingers over the angels face and smiled faintly, how funny to find an angel in place of disaster and demons. "Do a lot of people go?" I asked curiously as I stepped away from the statue and motioned for Stefan to lead on. Tonight could be good for me, I could get people to see me and hopefully accept me, I could even spend time with Damon out in public. On the down low of course, but still, time is time and I hate being away from him.

"Only if they want to…. To be honest I have never really been one for celebrations so I never pay them much mind. If you need questions answered, they would be better aimed at my brother or father. They are the ones that know about the town get-togethers…albeit for different reasons, but nonetheless they know."

"Oh, your father and brother? Are they both going tonight?"

To my surprise, Stefan stopped suddenly and turned in my direction with an uncomfortable expression on his face. "Please let me know if I am asking too much of you Miss Elena, but please, allow my brother a second chance." My eyebrows rose in shock and I tried to keep my mouth from dropping in surprise. Where did this come from? "The instances you have seen my brother have been…less than optimal and I don't wish for those to color your judgment of him. He is a much better man than you must think."

"I-" I let out a breath and brushed a few stray hairs behind my ear. "I don't know what to say Mr. Salvatore. I'm sorry if I came off rude to your brother, I never thought-"

"You must not explain yourself to me." Stefan said holding up his hands with wide eyes. "I just wish you would give him another chance. He is a wonderful person once you get to know him. I just don't want him to suffer because of a first impression." Stefan said smiling shyly.

I gulped and nodded softly. "Of course…I will make sure to be more opened minded around your brother." _Wow, either I am a great actor or Stefan thinks that Giuseppe's outburst at Damon cast him in a negative light. _

"Thank you. He should be at the party tonight, maybe you will have the chance to really meet him and not see him in passing or at an awkward breakfast." Stefan chuckled.

"Well, I look forward to seeing the real side of your brother."

"Wonderful. Well, now that that is behind us, where to next Miss Elena?" Stefan said brightening and pulling his shoulders back as if a weight had been lifted from them.

"How about the rest of the grounds?"

"Excellent, right this way."

I nodded and once again followed him out of the rose garden maze. We took a few twists and turns around the house until we were back at the front and we walked up to the marble fountain in the middle of the driveway. I sat on the ledge on the fountain and tilted my head back just to enjoy the feeling of the sun on my exposed shoulders. I let out a content sigh, turned, and ran my fingers through the cool water absently. Stefan stood obediently by my side waiting for me to finish soaking in the scene while I stared at the house wondering what Damon was up to at that very moment. _Bookkeeping? Document sorting? What does one do when they take care of 'estate affairs'? _For a second I continued to stare at the house, hoping to catch a glimpse of Damon through the study window, but everything inside the room was quiet. I let out a disappointed sigh before pushing myself up and brushing off my dress.

"We can go now." I mumbled sadly as I turned away from the study window.

For the next few hours, I followed Stefan, letting him tell me stories about the estate, showing me the wonders of the house and grounds, and even some secret places we weren't supposed to know about. It had been fun, but one-sided. Stefan had been a ball full of young energy, but I was more concerned about soaking in useful information and worrying about Damon than trying to make a connection with Stefan. Once Stefan finally returned me to my room and said he would pick me up in an hour or so for the celebration, he left.

I walked into the room with exhausted feet and I flopped down on the bed. I draped my arm over my eyes and was about to doze off when there was a knock at the door and the girl that had helped me get ready this morning walked in.

"I was told you may need assistance for the party by Mr. Salvatore." I nodded, pointed at the wardrobe, and asked her to please pick out a suitable dress for the occasion. She curtsied and said, "Right away ma'am," before hurrying over to the wardrobe and riffling through it for a few minutes.

I stuffed my arms behind my pillow and tried to get comfortable but something was poking me in the elbow. My brow furrowed in confusion, my fingers wrapped around something small and narrow, and I pulled it out. I sat staring at the feather for a moment before I remembered it had been on windowsill that morning. Again, I was overtaken by the urge to stroke the glossy feather, it was beautiful and mysterious.

As my helper turned around with a black and gold dress in hand, she too stopped and stared at the feather. "That is very beautiful if you don't mind my saying Miss."

I nodded and smiled as I ran my fingers over it and my thoughts drifted to Damon. "It is." I paused for a second, biting my lip, before I gazed at my helper shyly. "Would it be too much trouble to incorporate it into my ensemble in some way?"

"Oh no ma'am. I think it would be quiet lovely in your hair. Would that be satisfactory?"

"Yes, that's perfect." I said happily as I stood up from the bed and gently handed the feather to my helper who placed it on the vanity next to all of the brushes and combs. "I guess we should start getting ready, shouldn't we?" I giggled as my helper smiled faintly and held up the dress.

"If you wish."

"I do wish."

* * *

By the time I had finished dressing and my hair had been done, I was very satisfied with my appearance. I twirled in front of the full-length mirror like a little girl playing dress-up and gave myself a toothy grin. The dress I wore was floor length with layer upon layer of black and gold. My bodice was dark gold with a black accenting snaking every which way all the way to the floor. The ensemble was completed by a tight black bow tied around my waist and my special little feather methodically placed in my hair.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when a light knock came at the door. "Miss Elena?" Stefan called gently. "The carriage is ready, will you be down shortly?"

"I will be right down!" I called. I heard Stefan step away from the door and I waited for his footsteps to fade before I gave myself one last run-over in the mirror. Content with my appearance I took a deep breath, put a smile on my face, and exited the room. I walked down the hall slowly until I reached the top of the stairs. Down below I saw a small group gathered for the meeting: Giuseppe in a nice dark suit, Stefan wearing a light brown suit with his hair slicked back, and Katherine in a turquoise and green dress that made her look like an elegant piece of moldy fruit, but no Damon.

"Ah, there she is. My, my, how gorgeous you look." Stefan greeted with sparkling eyes. I did my best to smile but it was hard when Giuseppe kept giving me probing looks and Katherine looked like she wanted to bleed me dry and then tear me limb from limb.

"Well, we should get a move on before we are late." Giuseppe grumbled gruffly as he started to head for the door.

"Umm, are we not missing someone?" I asked weakly as I reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around expecting Damon to walk in at any moment and steal the show.

"My eldest will not be joining us tonight I am afraid. Duty calls." Giuseppe said trying to hide the pleasure in his voice at the thought that Damon would be absent from the party. I felt my insides twist uncomfortably and I smiled weakly at Giuseppe as I tried to mask my disappointment and irritation. I knew Giuseppe had forced Damon to stay home tonight; Damon wouldn't have left my side willingly unless he had too. No, Giuseppe was hoping to flaunt my valiant rescue, pin it on Stefan, kick Damon to curb, and make sure he couldn't do or say anything to damage the Salvatore reputation.

"Ah, what a shame. I was really hoping to get to know my other savior a bit better tonight."

"Maybe another time." Giuseppe said as a maid opened the door for us and Giuseppe walked out and boarded the waiting carriage. My smile turned to a frown the second no one was looking; this night had suddenly gone from mildly nerve-racking to a full-blown disaster. What was I supposed to do without Damon there? Talk to people I didn't know about topics I knew nothing about? Yeah, that would sure help me out. I let out a frustrated sigh as I turned to look at the study door, which had a faint light pouring out from underneath it. Damon was so close it hurt and I could do nothing to be with him because I had to go to this party while Damon was being forced to stay home. Tonight has officially become a nightmare. The sound of a tiny cough caught my attention and I turned to see Katherine staring at me coldly from the door.

"We are leaving now _Miss Elena_." She sneered before she took hold of Stefan's arm and let him lead her out of the house. My shoulders slumped in defeat and I trailed slowly after the couple and entered the carriage with the help of a servant. I sat next to Stefan and folded my hands neatly in my lap as a silence filled the booth of the carriage. The snap of a whip sounded and filled the silence of the carriage before it lurched forward and we slowly began to roll towards our destination. We traveled for about a half hour before a grand house came into view. I didn't know whose house it was, all I knew was that it was a founders and tonight would be bumpy at best.

Once the carriage stopped in front of the grand house and I was escorted out, my ears were met with the sounds of laughter and the dull buzz of voices. I gulped nervously as the carriage left and I followed after my group up the stone steps and towards the house. Katherine stood with Stefan by the door until the owner of the house unknowingly invited a vampire into his home and I shook my head as I followed inside.

Inside the house, there were groups of people that had known each other since childhood milling about and talking with each other about the newest gossip. I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb until Stefan appeared by my side and gave me a reassuring smile.

"Would you like to meet some people our age?" Stefan asked giving me a knowing look.

"Yes please." I whispered as he chuckled and held his arm out for me to grab. I bit my lip and gave him a hesitant look before I gently took hold of him. As we moved through the small crowds, I felt as if all eyes were on the new girl with the youngest Salvatore. I bet gossip was already flying. 'That's the girl they found half dead in the forest.' 'Do you think he fancies her?' 'Where is her family?' 'I bet she has something to do with all of the attacks.'

"Miss Elena, these are some of my friends." Stefan said leading me to a group of about three young adults. Including Stefan and myself there were two girls and three boys. "This is Andrew, Charles and Alli."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you." I said smiling shyly. Everyone in the group returned my smile except for one person. He was maybe in his early twenties, a little younger than Damon, and he was looking at me skeptically.

"You the one they found in the forest?" The guy with grey eyes and dark brown hair asked. The girl next to him wearing a pallid purple dress gasped and lightly hit him in the arm.

"Andrew, shhh, you can't say things like that!"

"Why? It's a simple enough question to answer. Father says that if someone evades your questions they have something to hide. Do you have something to hide?" He asked turning his stony eyes on me. Andrew had one of those faces, a cruel face made of hard lines and angles. He was someone that reminded me of Giuseppe, poised enough on the outside, spouting off words of 'superiority', but with real rage problems on the inside.

I raised an eyebrow and rolled my eyes. "Yes, I am the one they found in the forest. Do you see any other strange girls here tonight?" I quipped with an over the top smile. Andrew seemed to give me a once over with narrowed eyes before taking a sip of the amber liquid resting in his glass. "Now, can we all be civilized, or do you have other meaningless questions to ask me?" I knew I was treading on thin ice, but this guy gave off the vibe of superiority, he needed to be put in his place and show me some respect. The guy leaning against the wall next to Andrew snickered and gave me fond look.

"I like her; she can look out for herself. Doesn't take any shit from anyone." Charles said giving me a wink. I pursed my lips and had to wonder how Stefan could be friends with people who had such abrasive personalities. I was fine with them because I was used to people acting this way, but in this time, they were probably considered bad seeds.

"You two are so terrible." The girl apparently named Alli whined as she hid her face behind her hand and shook her head. Alli had strawberry blonde hair that was curled and pinned at the top of her head with jeweled clips and chestnut eyes. She was slender and held somewhat of a resemblance to Charles. Family most likely, siblings, or maybe even cousins. "Way to make a good first impression."

"Aw, you know we only do it for fun. It weeds out the weak one's, ain't that right Stef?" Andrew chuckled as Stefan rolled his eyes and gave the two boys hard stares.

"Are you purposefully trying to make me look bad?"

The two boys looked at each other and smirked. "Course." They said in unison as Alli's shoulders slumped and she tried to hide her embarrassment.

To the groups surprise and delight, I smiled. "See, she's savvy to our game." Charles said quirking his thumb at me. "Like I said, I like her."

"Let's just say I know your types." I interjected thinking back to Matt and Tyler. Those two could be real pains sometimes with their teasing and goofing around, but deep down they were both good people, and I had the feeling the same went for Andrew and Charles. Charles liked to goof around like Matt while Andrew played tough and superior like Tyler.

"Can we stop badgering her now?" Alli practically pleaded. "I'd like to get to know her before you two scare her off." She chastised with crossed arms. When both the boys sighed and nodded, she smiled and turned to me. "I'm Alli Carter, nice to meet you." She said with a toothy smile.

"Elena Gil- Geoffrey's." I coughed catching myself before I made a huge mistake. _Phw, what a close one. _

"Well, it's a pleasure. This is Andrew Fell and Charles Carter, my cousin." She said pointing to each man in turn. So I was right, Charles was related to her.

"Again, nice to meet everyone." I laughed awkwardly. At that moment, the music got just a bit louder and Alli smiled in excitement. The song was slow and melodic and I couldn't help but think romantic as well.

"I'm bored, we should all go dance." Alli said looking between Stefan and I. "Come on Andrew, you must be dying to show us how much better the Fells dance than us Carters. Prove my assumption right." Alli teased giving Andrew a challenging look. At that, Andrew puffed up, gave her an amused look, and held out his arm to her.

"Would you like to dance Miss Carter?"

"I would love too." She sighed taking his arm as he lead her to the dance floor where a few groups of people were slow dancing.

"Well that was a turn of events." I mumbled more to myself than anyone in particular.

"Well, since dancing seems to be the right thing to do, would you like to dance Miss Elena?" Stefan's question caught me off guard and my only response was a blank stare. I hadn't been expecting that, not in the least, Stefan should be looking for Katherine and asking her, not me. "My father wants me to show you a good time, would you allow me to do my job?" Stefan asked with an almost puppy-dog look on his face.

"Alright," I sighed, "but just one dance. I don't need to make a fool of myself in front of a town of strangers."

"I promise I won't let you fall." Stefan whispered as we stopped and faced each other in the center of the dance floor.

"Oh thanks." I said cheekily as I rested one hand in his and the other on his shoulder. "Well, lets get this over with." I sighed irritably as I flipped strays hairs from my face and tried to master an air of calm.

Stefan nodded and calmly placed his hand on my waist as we began to dance and sway to the slow music. Stefan moved and twirled me in time with the orchestra, but my thoughts were elsewhere, on someone else as I danced with him. I felt hollow, like everything I was doing was a lie with no purpose. If Damon were here at least I would have reason for lying, I could be with him and it would all be worth it, but now I just felt lost. I was in the arms of the wrong man and it made me feel sick. The eyes I was looking into should be blue, not green, the feeling of touching skin should make me burn with desire, not indifferent, the hand on my waist should make me feel loved and safe, not like some obligation to a man following his fathers orders. Everything was all wrong.

"May I cut in, brother?" The voice that sliced into my silent brooding sent warm shivers down my spin. Stefan and I stopped dancing and a surprised smile etched itself on my face as I turned around. _Damon. _

"Damon? Did father let you leave the estate or did you sneak out?" Stefan asked skeptically but with an amused glint in his eyes as he released his hold on me. Damon stared angrily at where Stefan had been touching me but made no comment and looked at his brother coolly. My eyes raked over Damon and I couldn't help but notice how devilishly handsome he looked tonight. His hair looked silky black, his attire was classy and sophisticated, his mouth was pulled into a sensual smirk, and when he looked at me, his eyes were so full of burning passion it took my breath away. He really held an air of confidence tonight and I liked it.

"He may have let me leave; he also may not know I'm here. So do me a favor Stefan, if you see father, warn me before he lays eyes on me." Stefan rolled his eyes but patted his brother affectionately on the shoulder.

"Sure thing." Stefan then turned to me and gently asked, "Will you be alright here?"

My mouth twitched and I gave Damon a sidelong glance. "I think I can manage."

"Then it is settled. I will be off; I believe I promised Miss Pierce a dance at some point tonight." Stefan said goofily as he stepped back and melted into the mingling crowd. The second Stefan left it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders; I no longer had to struggle through a night with someone who honestly couldn't care less about me. Stefan was more concerned about pleasing his father than honestly caring for me, and from the happy look on his face, it was obvious he would rather be with Katherine as well.

My stomach filled with butterflies as I laid eyes on Damon for the first time since this morning, it had been too long. "Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes." I giggled as I reached out for him so we could begin to dance and stop drawing attention to ourselves.

"You can say that again." Damon murmured, his lips grazing the shell of my ear as he brought me just a bit closer than custom. Heat radiated through my body and I clutched Damon's shoulder just a bit tighter to keep my balance. _He is my kryptonite; just his presence makes me weak kneed._ I could feel his warm breath in my hair and as I looked up to meet his eyes they were a crystallized blue, shinning with such devotion and love that they took my breath away.

I opened my mouth to comment, but Damon surprised me at the last second and twirled me around so quick that all that came out was muffled laughter. As I twisted back into his arms I wrapped my arms around his neck and looked up at him with sparkling eyes. He smiled at me and I smiled at him not caring who saw, all I wanted to do was be with him and feel this incredible every day. A part if me melted as we continued our slow progression over the dance floor and Damon held me close as if he would never let me go, this felt right. Dancing with Stefan did nothing for me, it was completely platonic, but with Damon, I felt alive, passionate and excited.

"How inappropriate would it be to disappear with you for a few minutes?" I asked shamefaced as I waited for an answer. I closed one of my eyes in anticipation for what was to come next but Damon just smirked that infuriating and loved smirk of his and leaned just a fraction of an inch closer to me. I bit back a groan as my grip on him got a bit tighter and my body hummed for his touch. His deft fingers played with the strings of my dress momentarily and I vaguely wondered what was stopping him until I remembered we were in public.

"Very." He purred in my ear as the music and voices of the others guests muted to a dull roar. Damon stopped and looked around slowly before his gaze rested on something and he very slowly maneuvered us away from the center of the dance floor. I shivered at his tone but pouted and pulled him closer as he started to step away from me. Me gave me a serious expression and shook his head as he motioned towards the open patio door. "Follow me outside in a few minutes; it will be less suspicious that way." Damon whispered in my ear as he stepped away from me. "Also," he said with a smirk, "you may want to get a glass of water first; it might help that incurable blush." I gasped in surprise as my hand reached up to feel my heated cheeks and my eyes widened in embarrassment as I blushed harder. Damon simply flashed me one last smirk before slipping through the crowd and outside.

I stood on the dance floor for a few more seconds before my brain finally started to function and I made my way over to a water pitcher in the corner of the room that rested on a glass table. I grabbed a glass, filled it to the brim with cool water, and finished it in two gulps before refilling the glass and taking another sip. My pulse was still racing and all I could think about was Damon and how good it felt to be held by him.

"He's alluring isn't he?"

I jumped and almost spilled a bit of water on myself but I managed to stay dry by jerking awkwardly at the last second. "Hmm?" I asked blankly after I had caught my breath and I turned over my shoulder and came face to face with Alli from earlier. "Who?" I asked trying to shake myself back to reality before the thought of Damon swallowed me whole.

"Damon Salvatore." Alli said with a knowing wink.

"Oh…um…." I trailed off as I gripped my water glass tightly between my fingers with a frightened expression obvious on my face. I took a giant sip of water and did my best to look unaffected but I knew I was failing miserably.

"I saw you two on the dance floor, you were all over each other." At my frantic expression she let out a breathy laugh. "Hey, don't worry," Alli soothed holding her hands up in surrender, "my lips are sealed." She locked an invisible lock on her lips and threw the imaginary key over her shoulder before dusting off her hands and giving me a secretive smile.

"Th-thanks." I stuttered not sure how to react or respond.

"Welcome. Now, do me a favor and get outta here. I think you have someone waiting for you." She said winking, pivoting on her heel, and walking away to join her group of friends. I blew out a breath, finished my glass of water and did just that while all the while thinking I may have just made a new friend.

Once I made it though the throng of people dancing and milling about, outside I was greeted by a chilly breeze. I rubbed my bare shoulders before I began scanning my surrounding for Damon, it didn't take long for him to evaporate out of the shadows and greet me.

"We were drawing too much attention inside. Out here we have a bit more leeway." Damon explained with a smirk as I walked slowly next to him and fought the urge to grab hold of him, push him up against a wall and have my way with him. We stepped away from the French doors and walked to the left until we were hidden by the shadows made from the out jutting of the fireplaces structure. There were no windows by the fireplace so no one inside could see us and no one outside could see us unless they were really looking. We had our own private place to just enjoy each other's company and I loved it.

"You look beautiful tonight, if it isn't obvious." Damon whispered as he and I leaned up against the house and looked up at the vibrant stars in the sky.

"Thank you." I whispered earnestly as I turned my head and studied him secretly. He looked different tonight, I didn't know what it was, maybe stress, maybe the light played a part in it, but he just seemed different to me for some reason.

Damon's gaze slid to meet mine before his gaze flicked up and he saw something that made him stiffen in surprise. My brow furrowed as Damon gulped and a mysterious emotion passed through this eyes.

"An interesting fashion choice." He murmured pointing out the feather hidden in my hair.

"Oh, does it look dumb?" I asked nervously as I reached up and ran my fingers over the silky feather.

A ghost of a smile passed over his lips before he shook his head, retrieved my hand, gave it a gentle kiss, and looked at me with warm eyes. "No, it's just surprising."

"Okay…thanks I guess?" I giggled wrapping my arms around his neck and ghosting my lips over his. Damon closed his eyes briefly before a smile quirked at his lips. "I'm so glad you're here." I whispered leaning my forehead against his and closing my eyes. "I missed you so much it hurt. I can't stand being away from you like today…it was torture." I sighed as I kissed his cheek gently and rubbed my nose against his.

"Elena…" Damon finally whispered stroking my cheek softly with his thumb. My eyes opened in surprise at the confliction in his voice and I reached out to him. His eyes were clouded with pain and it made me gasp. Giuseppe must have really messed with his head this time. Here I was being selfish and worrying about my need to be with him instead of asking him how he was.

"What is it?" I asked cupping his face gently and running my thumb over his cheekbones. "Talk to me, don't bottle your emotions up like this, let me in." I cooed softly as I searched his face for any sign of what was to come. He sighed dejectedly and shook his head.

"It's nothing." He lied giving me a very convincing smile, but I didn't buy it.

"It's not nothing." I urged. "Now please tell me, I want to help. What can I do to help?" I asked was sincere eyes as I tilted his head up with one hand and stroked his cheek with the other. Damon was obviously conflicted, I knew he didn't want to drag me into his misery, but damn it he was hurting. I was tired of waiting for his permission to help him feel better; he needed to know I was there for him. So instead of using words, I kissed him; actions speak louder than words. It was gentle at first, Damon was tense and not really reciprocating the kiss, but I was persistent. I was testing, soothing, reassuring him I wasn't going anywhere, I wouldn't let him suffer alone. "Let me soothe your pain," I whispered against his lips, "let me help." I pressed my lips more firmly against his, urging him to relax, to let go, to trust me. And that was all it took for Damon's control to snap and for his lips to attack mine with a passion.

Damon's lips seared against mine in a way they never had before as I moaned softly into his mouth and was overcome by the floodgate of emotions swimming though me. I clutched and clawed at him until I weaved my fingers through his silky hair and pulled him closer. This kiss was desperate and I had never felt this way kissing him before, it was like he was a dying man kissing the love of his life for the last time. Damon gently nudged me against the exterior of the house and I easily obliged as his body cocooned mine.

Damon's lips were everywhere at once, my lips, my cheeks, my exposed shoulders, even my neck. I sighed and rocked my body against his as Damon trailed kisses along my jaw and back down to my neck. My fingers played with the silky hair at the nape of his neck before I reached down and pulled his lips back to mine. I moaned as Damon bunched up part of my dress and slid his warm hand underneath to run across my leg and thigh. I kissed him fiercely and bit at his lip until his mouth opened and I forced my tongue inside. Our tongues battled for dominance as Damon growled low in his throat and pushed me harder against the house as I un-tucked the front of his shirt under his jacket in a greedy attempt to touch more of his skin. My fingers traced the dips and curves of his muscles as Damon left kisses on every bit of exposed skin he could reach. My body felt electrified, I felt like I was going to pass out at any second from the extreme sensations running rampant in my body. This felt amazing and I didn't know if it was because of the risk factor or if something between us had suddenly changed.

To my absolute outrage, Damon suddenly froze and pulled abruptly away from me like I had burned him. My breathing was uneven and I placed a hand over my heart as Damon ran his fingers through his hair and tucked in his shirt.

"Wha-?" I mumbled incoherently as I fixed disproving eyes on him. "Why did you sto-"

"Miss Elena?" I heard Stefan call from inside. My eyes widened and Damon quickly rushed forward to give me a light kiss and help me fix up my dress. His eyes were burning, but with what I couldn't be sure.

"Damon." I whispered but he shook his head.

"No time, he's coming." Damon whispered in a rush as he stepped away and behind me.

"Shit." I whispered quickly fixing my hair and makeup as best I could as Stefan stepped outside of the house and turned in a circle looking for me. I looked at Damon and he nodded that I looked presentable.

"Act normal." He whispered from behind me and I gave him a small nod. "Everything will be fine." I relaxed and when Stefan spotted me in the recesses of the shadows, I walked over.

"Miss Elena, there you are, we're leaving in a moment. The party is breaking up." Stefan whispered softly.

"Oh, alright, is there enough room in the carriage?" I grumbled irritably thinking back to how cramped it was with four of us, squeezing five of us into the carriage would be interesting.

"Room? Why wouldn't there be enough room?" Stefan asked giving me an odd look.

"Because of Damon." I explained slowly.

"Oh, I thought he already left." Stefan said rubbing his head and smiling sheepishly.

"What are you talking about? He's right h-" My face contorted oddly and I looked over my shoulder to see…no one. Damon was gone. "What the hell?" I huffed under my breath as Stefan gave me a quizzical look. _Where did he go? _I thought wide eyed as I searched my surroundings and saw no proof he was ever there.

"Right where?" Stefan asked looking around behind my shoulder.

I turned around slowly and smiled awkwardly at Stefan. "My mistake." I said numbly. "He must have left shortly after we danced."

"Seems plausible. Anyways, let's go." He said motioning for me to follow him.

"Yeah, sure." I whispered as I followed Stefan, said a few goodbyes and thank you's, and exited the house. I turned one last time over my shoulder to make sure Damon didn't appear out of nowhere, but no one was there. I gulped softly as I entered the carriage and sat down; a few seconds later a horse whinnied and we started to move.

"So," Giuseppe said breaking the silence in the carriage ten minutes into our journey home, "Miss Elena, did anything interesting happen tonight?"

I shook my head and let out a disbelieving sigh. "Nothing, nothing at all."

* * *

By the time I finally returned to my room I was exhausted. I stumbled into my room, closed the door behind me, and pried my shoes off. I let out a content sigh as I closed my eyes and leaned against the door. _What a day. First an awkward breakfast, then an awkward tour by Stefan, then a somewhat awkward but fun night at some founders house….mansion, whatever. But what was with Damon's vanishing act? I swear, he was there one minute and gone the next, and he was really acting weird. And now he's back downstairs with Giuseppe in the study. How he got home before us is a mystery; that boy is practically Houdini. _

I sighed in confusion before rubbing my forehead softly and pushing away from the door.

"Hard day?" A voice whispered from the recesses of the darkness. My eyes snapped open in shock and I reared back practically slamming into the door. I hadn't expected for anyone to be in the room, Stefan was with Miss Pierce and Damon was still downstairs in the study with Giuseppe. I knew that because as we were coming back into the house Giuseppe went straight to the study and I could hear heated voices floating out of the study very soon after. My wide eyes landed on the bed and I saw the outline of someone lazily lounging against the headboard with crossed arms propped behind their head.

"Who…?" I whispered trying to slow my heart rate before my heart decided to stop.

"Who do you think?"

As I stepped forward and the moonlight landed on my bed, my breath caught in my throat. There, lying on my bed looking like he belonged there, was Damon. Not the Damon downstairs, not the sweet human Damon, no, this was _my_ Damon, the vampire. His eyes shone lightly in the moonlight as he waited for my reaction, these were the same eyes that had been staring at me all night, the same lips I kissed, the same hair I had run my fingers through. "Oh my god." I breathed as my arms went slack, my mouth dropped and black spots entered my vision. My world suddenly tilted and the last thing I saw before everything went black was Damon rushing off the bed to catch me before I hit the ground.

* * *

**Wow, the longest chapter I have written yet. 19 PAGES! I'm shocked because in the beginning I thought this would be short, I guess I was very wrong. XD Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this insanely long chapter because I put my heart, soul, tears, and blood into this. Not really, but it felt like I did after hours of typing. XD Yay, Vampire Damon finally showed himself, and Elena knows. I bet you all are happy about that. ;) Now the question is, how will Elena react now that she knows she was with Vamp Damon all night instead of Human Damon? How will she react to Vamp Damon in general? So, please do me a super duper big favor and let me know what you thought of the chapter, it would be much appreciated! So I hope you all enjoyed and please review! ****:)**

**Until Next Time, Lioness002 **


	29. Lost and Now Found

**Well, I am back again! Did you wonderful people miss me? **** I need to start with a thank you to everyone for the amazing response for last chapter, your kind words and support continue to astound and motivate me. Over 60 reviews, ah, I am so surprised! And, all your reviews pushed me over 700 total reviews, I am freaking out a bit. XD So, last chapter a lot happened, and now we get to see the outcome. So, I hope everyone enjoys and will please leave me a review when you are done reading. Thanks and enjoy! -I Own Nothing but the Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

The second I began to gain consciousness, I had the vague feeling that I wasn't alone. My body was humming with awareness even if my mind was a little fuzzy, but even in its hindered state it was screaming at me to wake up and face what was to come. It was screaming at me to remember and accept. As my heavy lids fought to open and I gently stirred awake, I heard a relieved sigh from somewhere close by. I clawed at the sleep threatening to take hold of me again and pushed it away. Once I finally managed to crack my eyes open, the room was dark. I was comfortable and I felt warm, which meant I was probably in bed. I let out a grunt and with a little bit of effort I pushed myself up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. As I looked drowsily at the bottom of the bed, my gaze landed on Damon.

My breath hitched and I felt a million emotions swim through me in an instant. As I sat staring at Damon, scrutinizing him, I was overcome with feelings of anger, relief, confusion, temptation and guilt. _He really is here. _I downcast my eyes and squirmed uncomfortably as I blank hard a few times just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. When my vision cleared and Damon was still staring at me calmly I blew out a deep breath. I opened my mouth, trying to force words to come out, but Damon saved me by being the first one to break the silence.

"You're not going to pass out again, are you?" Damon asked softly from the bottom of the bed. I gulped and shook my head nervously; I could feel my hair slowly starting to fall to my shoulders in the process. _What am I supposed to say to him? How long has he been here? Why didn't he come to me sooner? How much has he seen and how much does he know? How did he get here? Is he going to take me home? How is everyone back home? Where is everyone else? Have I changed the future by interacting with everyone? Was he at my window last night? How did he get into the house? Was he at the party? How am I supposed to act around him?_ So many questions were swirling through my mind that I began to get a mild migraine. I massaged my temples with the tips of my fingers and let out a slow breath as I hesitantly looked towards Damon.

"No," I finally croaked out defiantly, "I won't pass out as long as someone doesn't pop out of nowhere again." I gave him my best glare, but even to me it felt weak. There was not that much behind it because I wasn't even that mad. I was just surprised, a bit uncomfortable, and maybe a bit irritated, but not really mad.

Damon's mouth twitched marginally and his gaze ran over me, up and down, left and right. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Well you should, you're the one that appeared out of nowhere and scared me half to death," I replied smartly as Damon chuckled lightly under his breath. I felt my lips pull into an involuntary smile as I relished in the feeling of normalcy. I had missed this teasing and banter, I had missed him. I had missed my old life where I could just be me without having to check every word that slipped out of my mouth. I stopped suddenly and gave Damon a hard look, what if he wasn't real? My gut twisted uncomfortably and my smile faded, I could not handle him not being real. I had to know the truth. I pushed the comforters off myself and crawled forward enough so I could sit right in front of him. "Are you really here?" I asked getting straight to the point, I was too afraid of the answer to be shy. "I need to know because I'm not even sure I'm awake…for all I know you could be a figment of my imagination. Wishful thinking and all," I mumbled offhandedly as I bit my lip and shrugged self-consciously. Damon's eyes widened slightly at _'Wishful thinking and all'_, but he made no comment.

When I downcast my eyes and tilted my head down, I felt cool fingers rest under my chin and gently tilt my head back up. My skin tingled at the touch and for the first time since I had woken up, I met Damon's gaze. "Elena, you are awake and I am really here, I'm real," Damon said with conviction in his voice. To prove his point he grabbed my hand and placed it softly on his chest with a pleading look. I inhaled sharply, surprised by the shock that passed between us, but when I didn't retrieve my hand he leveled me with a calm look. "I'm real," he repeated. With my hand burning on his chest from the close proximity, I sought for a heartbeat, the last barrier that would keep me from believing it was really Damon, _my_ vampire Damon. When I felt no steady drum under my fingertips, I was both relieved and a bit disappointed. I looked up at Damon and I knew he did all this to prove he was solid and real, that he was actually sitting right in front of me after I had spent weeks falling asleep thinking about him. "I'm here to keep you safe, to take you home," he said with burning eyes, the same eyes that practically made me melt earlier tonight. _He was the one at the party, he had to have been. But if he was…then that means I have some serious explaining to do. _I gulped, and before I even registered what I was doing, I flung myself on Damon and wrapped my arms around his neck. I buried my head in the crook of his neck as tears began to slide down my cheeks.

"I missed you so-_so much_," I sobbed against his neck as my eyes squeezed together and tears began to soak the collar of his shirt. Damon was tense, probably from the surprise hug, but as the seconds ticked by, he slowly began to relax and soothingly rub my back. My body was shaking uncontrollably, but I wasn't necessarily sad, I was more relieved and ecstatic. I had missed him so much, more than anyone, so just being with him now was enough to send my emotions on a roller coaster ride_. How am I supposed to act around him now? Am I supposed to act like I did before I came here? Am I supposed to treat him like I treat his human self or in a different way? How am I supposed to tell him that…I have feelings for him? _

"I missed you too," Damon finally whispered in my ear. Warmth seeped through me as Damon clutched me protectively, passionately, desperately, lovingly, closer. He did this for a brief second as I wrapped my arm around his neck and squeezed him back. It was easier for us to express our feelings through looks and touches rather than words. My mind was too muddled and I was too tongue tied to be able to express myself properly anyway. I blank away my tears and smiled faintly as I rested my cheek on his shoulder. _God, what am I supposed to do? Do I just come out and tell him that I feel something for him? Do I beat around the bush and wait it out? Should I act differently? How will this change our relationship? Will he be mad at me for feeling something for his human self? _I felt Damon sigh before pulling me away from him with a serious expression etched on his face. I probably looked like a mess, but Damon just shook his head faintly and brushed a few hairs out of my face when I frowned in confusion at him. "We need to talk," he finally managed to force out.

"Yeah, I guess we probably should," I mumbled laughing awkwardly under my breath. _Where do I even start?_

"How long have you been here?" Damon asked gently.

I shrugged and fiddled absently with the sheets. "A few weeks? Maybe more," I sighed as my brow puckered and I shook my head. _Has it really been that long? It feels like just yesterday I accidentally landed in 1864, but honestly, a lot of time has passed. I have managed to form connections and integrate myself into a time I don't even belong in. At least I have managed to use my time well and stay safe…ish in the process. It was time I find well spent, I got to learn all about Damon and why he is the way he is, and even fall for him in the process._ "What about you?" I asked curiously. "How did you get here? How did you find me?"

Damon snorted and rubbed his forehead angrily. I frowned and moved to try and comfort him, but I stopped at the last second and pulled my hand back. I wanted to ease his obvious tension and strain, but I really didn't know how. "It wasn't easy, trust me," Damon said with an exaggerated smirk. "You see, Bennet decided to send me after you when we all realized you were in 1864. Problem is she only sent me to 1999 instead of 1864, so I had to do a bit of time hopping to get here."

"You got sent to the wrong time?" I gasped trying to stay as calm as possible and not think of all the things that could have gone terribly wrong in a situation like that.

"I stand by the idea that Bennet hates my guts and wants to do away with me." At my disproving look Damon rolled his eyes and motioned for me to move back. I obliged and moved back in the bed until I was leaning against all the pillows. Damon moved from the bottom of the bed and plopped down next to me with a cocky smirk. I smacked him lightly but I couldn't hide my smile. _We both have moved straight back into our routine._ "Anyways," Damon continued, "after I got sent to the wrong time I found Bree in Georgia and she managed to send me to 1864. When I got here I was a bit…preoccupied, but once I took care of some things, I came to find you."

"How did you find me? And what things preoccupied you?"

"What occupied me is not important," Damon said evading my question. "I found you on a hunch; Bonnie said that you ended up in 1864 because you felt comfortable with Stefan and me, so I figured you would probably be with one of us. Even if that is the stupidest thing possible to do," he said giving me and critical look.

"What? Don't give me that look," I said elbowing him in the ribs. "I got to the estate by accident; I slept in a barn the first night but when I went out to find food the next morning I managed to wander here. How was I supposed to know this was your house and you would decide to sit under the tree I was stealing apples from?"

"Stealing? You Elena? I never would have pegged you as a kleptomaniac," Damon chuckled leaning against the pillows and staring at the ceiling. I rolled my eyes and drew my knees to my chest.

"It's safe to say I was a bit freaked out," I mumbled shuddering as I remembered my terror. "You could have turned me into the counsel, or worse, Katherine, and then I could have ended up dead. Trust me; even if I was curious about how you guys were as humans, I wanted to stay as far away from people I knew as possible."

"But you ended up here…in the house. How does that evolve from wanting to stay away from us?" Damon asked quizzically tilting his head to the side to stare at me.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead lightly. _Why did I stay here? Oh yeah, that's right, Damon wanted me to so I went along with it. Man, I am not even going to think about all of the terrible things that could have happened to me because I couldn't say no to him. _"You wanted me to stay here," I mumbled shyly as I looked at Damon out of the corner of my eye. Damon oddly enough nodded, like what I said didn't surprise him. I cleared my throat, shook my curiosity off, and continued. "You chased and caught me after I stole some of your mother's apples. I didn't want you to be afraid of me since I looked exactly like Katherine, so I managed to convince you I was from the future, not easily I might add. After that…I told you the truth. I told you I was here by accident, that we were friends later, and that you would become a…vampire." Damon face stayed stoic, but he gave me a curt nod to tell me to continue. "You believed me, and then you said I should stay at the manor and that you would…."

"I would what?" Damon asked quietly, obviously intrigued with my story.

"That you would keep me safe."

"And you believed me," Damon sighed dejectedly as he nodded lightly. At his dull tone I realized he must have thought I trusted him because he was human or because I wanted to use him. That certainly wasn't the case, I trusted him because of who he was and who he would be. I trusted him because I trusted him later; I took a chance and I ended up on top.

"Of course I did. I trust you Damon, I always have, this is nothing new," I said turning to meet his gaze. I was surprised to find that Damon's eyes were dull, he looked almost sad as he stared up at the ceiling with his arms propped behind his head. What had happened to him while he had been looking for me? "Trusting you could have been my downfall, but I believed in you, in our friendship. I had to believe our connection would transgress ages. You act like I only trusted you because you were human or something."

"What did you do all those weeks then? Who were you with?" Damon asked completely ignoring my last statement. After he asked me the question Damon actually cringed like he was waiting for bad news, it was a minute action and most people would have missed it, but because I knew him so well I caught it.

I gulped and fidgeted nervously with my dress as I tried to think of what to say. I felt blood rush to my face as I began to think back on all of the things that had happened between us in those few weeks. But what would Damon think of me? As I thought about everything that happen I began to feel uncomfortable, the corset was beginning feel really constricting in this tense situation. My heart was racing and my body temperature was skyrocketing as I pulled lightly at the edge of the corset and I tried to draw in a steady breath. The breath came in as a wheeze and I began to panic when I realized it was getting harder to breathe. I jumped off the bed and raced over to the mirror where I turned over my shoulder and looked for my corset strings. Behind me in the reflection of the mirror I could see Damon's worried gaze as he stood up from the bed. "I-I can-can't breathe-"

Before I knew what was happening Damon had turned me around to face the mirror and was standing behind me. His fingers were on the strings of my corset in a second and he was quietly whispering in my ear, "Elena, relax, everything is going to be fine. Nice, big, and deep breaths, you're having a panic attack. You need to calm down. I'm right here, relax, just breathe." His deft fingers were quickly unwinding the corset strings at the back of my dress as I gasped for breath. The pain was indescribable, every passing second my lungs felt like they were being stabbed with a white hot poker. My body was tingling, my heart was racing, my face was numb, and I realized I could pass out again. With each section Damon unwound, I could feel the tension in my chest growing weaker and weaker, but it didn't alleviate the problem fast enough. Vaguely I laughed about how just an hour or so ago I had been dying for him undress me, now I found it annoying that he was undressing me but he was doing it for a completely different reason. Once the corset was undone and he had sloughed it off my body, he held me close and rubbed up and down my arms as I trembled uncontrollably. "Elena, pay attention only to my voice, forget everything else. All of your stresses, all of your worries, forget it all. Nothing else matters, you are safe with me."

"I am safe with you," I whispered almost in a trance as I focused on Damon's reassuring voice and the warmth of his touch. Slowly but surely as the minutes passed, I began to feel my anxiety melt away as Damon continued to whisper words of encouragement and comfort in my ear. I let out a sigh, leaned back against him as my eyes closed and the vice on my lungs eased, and I took in a solid breath of air. Damon's touch slowly stilled and his fingers rested on my wrists as I began to be able to breathe regularly again. My eyes slowly opened and I exhaled a breath full of stress and anxiety and replaced it with a feeling of calm. I hesitantly grabbed onto his hand, gave it thankful squeeze, and turned to face him.

"You are just all kinds jittery aren't you?" Damon sighed well naturedly as he wrapped one of my stray hairs around his finger and put it back into place. My insides were all fuzzy, my heart was racing for positives reasons, everywhere we were touching I was tingly, and when I met Damon's gaze I knew that he could hear my pulse racing.

"I-I've been trying to figure out how to bring this up all night, and now seems as good a time as any," I said shakily as I took a deep breath and confidently met Damon's gaze. "You asked me what I was doing all those weeks and who I was with, and the truth is, I was with you all that time." Damon nodded slowly, absorbing my words, and I took his calm demeanor as a sign to continue. "I probably spent at lease two or three of those weeks in your room with you. You were the only one that really knew about me; the first time I really came face to face with Stefan was this morning. I never for a second had the urge to go to Stefan, and I found that so strange, but I guess I just felt so good with you that I didn't feel the need to go to Stefan. My feelings for him just…disappeared the more time I spent with you. I don't know what it was, but you were just so nice and understanding, and you spent all that time taking care of me, and I was getting to know you, so I never thought about leaving. I'm sorry-I'm so sorry!" I stuttered as my guilt slowly started to consume me. _I should have told my Damon I felt something for him first, not his human self. _"I think-I think fell for you without even meaning too," I cringed and released Damon's hand as I waited for his reaction. What would it be: anger, resentment, disappointment, hate?

"I know," Damon finally whispered, "I've known for a while."

My eyes widened as I took a step back and leveled Damon with a probing look. "Wait, what? You have? How?" I gasped wiping frantically at my eyes to keep tears from entering them. Damon looked uncomfortable for a moment before sighing, walking over to the bed, sitting down, and patting the spot next to him. I slowly walked over biting my lip and sat down next to him with crossed ankles.

"Let's just say that when I got here I had some mind-meshing time with my human self. I remembered everything important that happened ever since you arrived in 1864 and met me."

"Then…how much do you know about my feelings for you?"

"Enough."

"Are you mad at me?" I asked cringing and staring at the floor

Damon sighed thoughtfully and shook his head. "At first I guess I was, I mean, you were falling for me…but not. I was jealous of myself, which is a new low for me. It just felt like being second best to my brother all over again, and I even caught myself wondering what was wrong with me a couple of times."

"Damon-"

"Ah, ah, let me finish," Damon scolded wagging a finger in my face. "I was angry and jealous at first, but the more I remembered and relived, the more I could see that you really cared about me. I watched and practically felt you take care of me, kiss me, love me. It hurt, but it gave me hope. Now all I can do is hope that what feel for me as a human can somehow miraculously transfer to me now."

"I-I don't even know what to say. How am I supposed to react when I know that everything I did with you as a human, you felt and experienced?" I asked dumfounded. "I mean, I feel terrible because once again I managed to hurt you. That wasn't my intent; I just wanted to get to know you better. I wanted to understand you as a human so I could understand you now," I said turning my body towards Damon's. "I felt something for you before all of this even happened, your human self just gave me a chance to let the feelings in."

"So, you're not mad?" Damon asked giving me a weird look.

"Why would I be? I mean, I am somewhat embarrassed and feel very crappy about it all, but they're your memories, you should be mad at me. I can't dictate what you remember or feel. I'm just sorry you had to find out about my feelings for you second hand."

"What do you mean? You love my human self."

"Yeah…but you're the same person, Damon. My feelings aren't just for you back in 1864; I feel something for you too." I reached out and gently placed my hand on his cheek as I gave him my most honest and loving look. _The reason I was sent here was so I could acknowledge my feelings. I understand now. I have accepted it and I know that I love you. I just need to get you to believe me. _I could see his eyes were full of skepticism and pain, he had put up barriers to protect himself, but the more I spoke the more his eyes lightened and began to sparkle.

"You- Are you saying that you-?" Damon let the statement trail off uncertainly as his brow furrowed in frustration. I could practically feel the sexual tension crackling in the air as I stroked his cheek. This moment, more than anything else, would change my future. This was my point of no return, how I finished this sentence would determine my future.

I let out a shaky breath and smiled weakly. "I'm saying that I love you Damon. You, my infuriating, cocky, passionate, sexy, layered, and unbelievingly amazing vampire," I giggled and blushed shyly. "While I was here I realized that out of everyone back at home, I missed you the most. You, out of everyone, understand me the best, we are connected in ways that I can't explain. I just, when I finally let my feelings in it was like a tidal wave. Everything was just so honest and pure, it was so easy. And I want that with you. When I'm with you, _you_, I feel free, and loved, and protected, and so…_consumed_. The thought of you kept me going all of these weeks, my promise to reveal my feelings to you reassured me that we would see each other again. I wouldn't have survived here long if it hadn't been for you. You may not have physically been here, but you saved and protected me, you kept me strong. My feelings, no matter how they came to light, are real and true. I love _you_." I blank and let out a shaky and nervous laugh. "Can you-? Do you-?" I swallowed thickly and bit my lip as I started again. "Can you love a crazy and damaged emotional wreck of a girl like me? Because you need to know, I will fight for the things I feel, the thought of you and me together feels right and I won't give up on it, I won't give up on you. I accept you, all of you, the good and the bad. I will fight for you. I will fight for _us_, for this thing between us that you've felt so much longer than me." I paused to breathe and I gazed nervously at Damon's shell-shocked face. _Please don't let me be too late._ "Tell me truthfully, can you love me?"

* * *

**Yeah, I am kind of mean for cutting it off there, but you have to admit, there are many possibilities for the beginning of the next chapter. ;) So, what did you all think? Haha, man, Damon is probably about to lose it, huh? Lots of turns in the conversation that he didn't expect. So everyone, please be super duper kind and let me know how I did by leaving me a review. It would mean the world to me. So, again, I hope everyone enjoyed and I hope you all will be kind enough to please leave me a review with all your thoughts and comments. Thanks!**

**Note: Review replies for last chapter will come some time tomorrow afternoon. I have to go to bed soon because I have school tomorrow and it would take too long to reply to everyone tonight. Sorry! Replies will come soon!**

**Until Next Time, Lioness002**


	30. Never Let Me Go

**I don't think there is a way for me to make up for my long absence. It is practically inexcusable. I am so sorry. My life just took a turn towards the busy side: SAT's, AP Exams, Drivers Ed, Honor Society, Community Service, and school have been my schedule these past few months. Now I have summer homework, my Culminating Project, and college searching. All of that equals a swamped and busy Fanfic author. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you for sticking with me after all of this time, the support has been unbelievable and I love you all for it. I will do my best to make it up to you. So, I hope you all will enjoy this chapter after so long. Enjoy please and let me know what you think. Thanks! -I Own Nothing but the Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

"_Tell me truthfully, can you love me?" _

The meaning of my words hung heavy in the air, just floating between Damon and I like an impenetrable wall. The air around us was quivering with unspoken words, untold feelings and truths. I didn't know what to expect or what to think, there were too many variables for me to know what would come next. I gulped and did my best to appear confident when in reality I was a mess. _What if he said no? What if I had finally pushed us into a hole that we couldn't dig out of? What if I was just making a fool of myself? _

All of these worries, plus hundreds of others, were flying through my mind as I let out a shaky and self-conscious breath and forced my gaze to meet Damon's. "Damon? Are you going to say anything…or are you just going to stare at me?" I asked trying my best to keep my voice from cracking with emotion. My grip on the sheets of the bed were like steel as I waited for Damon to respond. At the sound of his name, Damon stirred and suddenly his eyes, his burning, beautiful, bottomless eyes, were glued to mine.

I started in surprise at his sudden movement, at the emotions I saw consuming his eyes - I suddenly felt like a deer caught in headlights. Damon gulped, placed a steady hand on top of my shaking ones, and sighed like it pained him, like he was sorry for me and for what he was about to say. His sigh felt like a slap and instantly I wanted to sink into the floor. _He's going to reject me, _I thought in a panic as I sought Damon's face for answers, for a hint of what was going to come next.

Damon closed his eyes, shook away whatever thought had irritated him, and composed his face into one of indifference. Damon was fighting so hard to keep his façade up, to fight every nerve in his body that was telling him to believe my words of love, to take me while he still had the chance. The thing about Damon is that he won't let himself be happy because he thinks he doesn't deserve it. He thinks I am going into this blind, that I am a delusional child with unrealistic expectations. I know what I am doing, I know the risk I am taking by opening myself up to him, but I don't care. He is what I want, and I won't let him back out on me now. Damon sighed and seemed to weigh his words carefully before he spoke. "Elena…do you realize what you are doing by saying these things to me? What you are opening yourself up to? I am not a good person Elena; you know that better than anyone does. I have dark secrets, a dark past, and a volatile temper that is prone to make me lash out and hurt you even if I don't want to. I'm arrogant, stubborn, possessive, sporadic, and worst of all, I'm selfish. I will take what I want," he said letting his gaze linger on me for a brief second before he continued. "Do you have any idea how hard I fight myself everyday to not take you and make you mine? I will hurt you in the end - that is where all roads lead, hurt and heartbreak." He said sternly staring me down, hoping I would flinch and retract my confession. Take back my words so he wouldn't have to deal with all of the pain he thought would come when I supposedly gave up on him or went back to Stefan. The thing is, I won't give up on Damon because I can see the real him, and I am willing to work through the good the bad and the ugly. Because that is what love is - acceptance and the willingness to try to understand, to be empathetic and fight through the rough patches instead of running away. I won't run away, not away from Damon and not back to Stefan. I don't want to - I can't - not now, not after everything Damon and I have been through. "Are you sure you are really thinking this through Elena? Because once I have you, once you are mine, I won't let you go, _ever_."

I let Damon's words sink in, let his warnings shake my core and fight my resolve. It's what he wanted, he wanted me to stop and think, he wanted to scare me off because it was easier that way. He was being brutally honest, but I respected him for it. He didn't want to hurt me anymore than I wanted to hurt him. He wanted to give me an escape while I still had the chance because he loved me. My eyes met his, mine were watering and his were like ice, solid and cold, unfeeling almost. _He's closing himself away_. I sat with my legs tucked under me on the bed as I leaned in close and rested my hands lightly on his shoulders. As I stared him straight in the eyes, for a second I could see it all, his pain, his desperation, his fear, his longing, his self-loathing and even his hope. "Who ever said I wanted you to let me go?"

Damon froze in shock as my words slowly started to make sense to him. However, I didn't even wait for his reply before I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. With our lips connected I waited for Damon to make his move, to settle into the idea of us and shake away the shock that had undoubtedly taken hold of him. I pressed my lips a little firmer against his because I needed him to understand that this wasn't going to be a one time thing or that I was confused or making a rash decision, I knew what I wanted and I was finally going to take it. It took all of five seconds and then I was being devoured. That spark that I associated to my Damon was definitely there, I could feel it coursing between us as Damon pulled me to his chest in a crushing embrace, I tangled one hand in his hair, and the other slid under the collar of his shirt to caress his perfect silky skin.

While human Damon was slower and asked for my permission at every turn, my Damon took and did what he wanted. Every stolen kiss left me breathless and desperate for more. Every determined and crafted touch sent shivers down my spine so colossal I swear I would have fallen to pieces if Damon wasn't holding me so close. Damon ran his hands down my sides and lightly bit on my lip asking for entrance. I granted him access willingly and moaned as our tongues collided. This continued for some time, hands frantically touching and exploring while our mouths moved together in sync. Every fiber of my being was vibrating with desire as Damon consumed me with a desperation I didn't think was possible, I had never felt so cherished or desired. I was high on this feeling, on this love. Every touch, kiss, and feeling was a hundred times more potent with Damon than it was with Stefan or even human Damon. My senses were on overdrive and I adored it.

Damon all but growled in outrage as his lust laced eyes opened and I quickly pulled my lips away from his. He opened his mouth to protest but I pressed my finger against his lips and smiled weakly. His lips that had ravaged mine felt soft against the pad of my finger, all I wanted to do was quit talking and go back to kissing him, but this talk was important so I had to pause my racing mind and body. "Relax, I'm not going anywhere." I purred as I nuzzled into his neck and lovingly kissed his throat. "I want this; I want you, only you. _Forever_." I said putting emphasis on the forever as I pulled away for the briefest of seconds, paused the flaming desire, and rested my forehead against his and smiled. "I love you," I whispered caressing his cheek as I stared deep into his eyes, "I need you to know that I love you." I needed him to know that what I felt for him was real, that he was it for me and that once we got back it would be him and me. Stefan wasn't what I wanted anymore, I had outgrown him and I was ready to move on with my life. "Can you love me?" I said repeating my question from earlier as I shyly stared up at Damon through my lashes.

Damon smirked and chuckled lightly. I gulped but he gently reached forward and cupped my face. I sat stone still as I stared deep into his cerulean eyes and he tenderly stroked my cheek. "I wouldn't have been fighting for you for the past year if I didn't want to love you. Of course I can love you Elena." Damon said earnestly as the last bit of iciness melted from his gaze and his eyes looked the warmest, happiest, and most accepting I had ever seen them. I smiled jubilantly and when I pulled away this time Damon didn't protest, he waited patiently because I think he was starting to realize that I would come back.

I rested my knees on the mattress, quickly bunched up my irritating skirts, crawled forward and straddled his hips. Damon flicked his gaze up and down my body before smirking wickedly. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my melting core against his quickly growing bulge. "Prove it." I purred seductively in his ear. Damon moaned in response and I don't think I had ever heard anything sexier. I pressed down again as Damon launched his lips onto mine and undid my hair so it fell around my shoulders in waves. Damon plucked the crow's feather from my hair and twirled it between his nimble fingers for a few seconds before he reached over and put it on the bedside table. I raised my eyebrows in question but Damon just shook his head and weaved one hand into my hair and the other around my waist.

Damon angled my head to the side a bit as his lips left mine and he trailed burning kisses down the side of my face and latched onto my neck. I dug my nails into his back as he bit down on my neck with blunt teeth and quickly began to unlace the back of my dress. _Oh god, this is really happening. _My breath came raggedly as pieces of my dress were being stripped away and Damon got closer and closer to my skin. By this point I was down to my slip and this was when Damon paused. I blank slowly and met his gaze; I was suddenly very self-conscious. Damon had been with many women, but I was just a small town Mystic Falls girl, how was I supposed to keep him interested? I bit my lip and turned my head to the side slightly.

"You're gorgeous Elena." Damon mumbled as if suddenly sensing my hesitation and self-doubt. He leaned forward and left sporadic kisses from my neck to my shoulder to the top of my breast and back to my neck. "You are perfect and beautiful and _I love you_." He whispered stroking my cheek and turning my face towards his as his eyes shimmered with warmth and love. "Don't ever doubt that, not for a second." He mumbled. My heart raced in relief as I nodded and fought back tears of joy. I coughed out a laugh as I leaned up and met my lips with his. Damon smiled into the kiss and twisted his fingers into my hair as I stroked his cheeks.

As Damon pushed me onto the mattress and laid himself on top of me I moaned in ecstasy, our bodies fit together perfectly and everywhere we touched I burned. Our lips met in searing kiss as my hands started to work on the buttons of his shirt. I needed to touch his skin, I needed more contact. I burned for him, nothing felt like enough, I felt insatiable, I needed more, I needed all of him. My fingers nimbly went from one button to the next and each button released sent a shiver of pure joy through me. I bit my bottom lip coyly as I feasted my eyes on Damon's perfectly muscled chest. I reached out and gently traced the dips and curves of his chiseled abdomen and he shuddered - everything about him was just _perfect_. I grabbed onto the belt loops of his pants with a sly smile and pulled him closer to me as I weaved my hand into his hair and desperately attacked his lips. Damon pulled away, much to my annoyance, and let his gaze wander over my inviting form with a wolfish grin. The look sent shivers of pure desire through me as I felt the burning in the pit of my stomach clench and magnify. I pouted up at him, missing his touch, and reached out for him as he shrugged out of his shirt and let it drop off the bed. I sat up and ran my hands up and down his chest as I kissed the newly exposed skin of his pecks, shoulders, and biceps. Damon grunted in satisfaction as his half lidded eyes closed for the briefest of seconds and he enjoyed my ministrations. Before I knew it he had pushed me down again and leaned down to whisper huskily in my ear, "Like what you see?"

"So much." I panted. I bit my lip as Damon's arms landed on each side of my head, caging me underneath him, and he pushed his lower body into mine. Feeling him pressed intimately against me made my body flare as I bit my lip and dug my nails into his back. I moaned as Damon slid one hand under my slip and rested it on my hip as he kissed the back of my ear. My eyes fluttered closed as Damon ground his hips into mine suggestively and sucked on my neck, effectively marking me. _I want to be yours. _My heart was pounding so hard at every touch I was afraid I might explode. Damon slid the thin straps of my slip off my shoulders and replaced them with desperate and hot open-mouthed kisses. As one hand stroked my fiery flesh under my slip, Damon's mouth caressed my neck and collarbone. He reached up and squeezed my breast experimentally and I moaned his name as I pushed my chest deeper into his touch. "Damon, don't ever stop touching me." I begged as I hungrily kissed his neck and shoulders. I wound my arms around his back and raked my nails down it as I wrapped my slender legs around his waist. We both hissed in pleasure at the contact and friction and suddenly it felt like all of our self-restraint flew out the window.

I suddenly grew very bold - I wanted him so badly - and with strength I didn't even know I possessed, I pushed us up and over and landed on top of Damon with a triumphant smirk. I ground my hips into Damon's and swooped down and claimed a kiss as my hands started to work on the button and zip of his jeans. I slightly bit his lip, and when his mouth willingly opened to mine with a pleased purr, I thrust my tongue into his mouth and slipped my hand into his jeans as I gave his erection a teasing squeeze. My tongue battled with Damon's until I wrapped mine around his and I wantonly began to suck on it. I continued to do this as I squeezed and rubbed his further hardening erection through the material of his boxers. Damon pulled away with his eyes squeezed shut and moaned into my neck as his whole body jerked at my touch. _I can't believe I can make him react like this. _Without any warning Damon's arms wrapped around me and suddenly I was on my back again. My breath left me as I heard the sound of tearing fabric and then I was left in only my panties and bra. I looked around absently through lust-filled eyes and noted my shredded slip that was in Damon's hand. The cold air hit my heated and exposed skin, but that wasn't what was causing the goose bumps that were erupting all over my body. Damon crushed his lips to mine and used one hand to press down on my belly so I would stay on the mattress as he trailed his fingers lightly over my ribs. Damon quickly kissed down my neck and collarbone and continued his path between the valley of my breasts all the way down my stomach. I wrapped one leg around his hips as I arched into his kisses. Each kiss sent an electric shock through my body, and the lower he got the more desperate I got. He stopped at the line of my underwear and deliberately gave me a languid and teasing kiss before smirking up at me, skipping over right where I wanted him, and traveling back up my body. I moaned in frustration as he licked around my naval and stroked the flesh at the inside of my thigh with his free hand. "Damon," I barked in frustration, "stop being such a teeeaasssee, _ohhhhh_." My sentence ended in a long and loud groan as my head flopped back onto the pillows and Damon sucked on the inside of my thigh. _Bite me, bite me oh god please bite me. _I thought desperately as I gripped the sheets beneath me and my toes curled at all of the wonderfully torturous things Damon was doing to me.

I felt the vibrations of Damon's chuckle as he kissed his way back up my body and met my lips. My body was pulsing with desire as I reached down and pushed Damon's dark wash jeans down his hips. Damon kicked his jeans off the rest of the way, reached behind me, stroked my back, and pulled our chests together as I mashed our lips together in a carnal kiss. Both of us were desperate to be as close together as possible, and every touch and every kiss was that much more powerful because it had taken so long for us to be together like this.

Damon's hand circled the clasps of my bra as I leaned up and sucked and nibbled on his neck. Damon groaned and rocked his hips into mine as I lightly bit down on his earlobe and ran my hands all over his back; every one of his muscles tightened and pulsed under my touch. By this point all I could think about was Damon, my mind was so fuzzy and I was so desperate for him that I wouldn't have cared if the room caught fire. I needed him soon or I was going to explode. "Make love to me." I whispered in his ear as I lovingly ran my fingers through his hair and kissed his shoulder.

"Elena-"

"Please," I whispered into the crook of his neck before he had the chance to interrupt or deny me, "I want you to. I want this, I really want this."

"You have to be sure about this Elena," Damon said desperately as he pulled me away a bit and his gaze suddenly clouded with fear. "Once I have you I won't let you go, it would _crush_ me." His grip on me got a fraction tighter and I knew he was second-guessing himself again. He still didn't think that this would last. "So are you sure? Of all things, you need to be sure about _this, _it means too much."

I leaned up, cupped his cheeks, and rested my forehead against his. We stayed in that position for some time, just sitting there and listening to each other's breathing and letting the moment soak into our memories. This was it, our defining moment. Even now he was still letting me back out, but this time I wouldn't back down from my feelings. I would face my feelings head on and do exactly what I had been wanting to do for the past year. I would never walk out on him again, that was a promise. My thumbs stroked his cheeks as I quickly and lightly bombarded Damon with an assortment of sweet and chaste kisses. I let out a small breath and stared deep into Damon's eyes as I confidently said, "I'm sure."

Damon eyes flared and he slowly nodded. I wrapped one arm around his shoulders as Damon slowly stripped me of my remaining garments and I did the same to him. I bit my lip shyly, but as Damon smiled a genuine smile and lightly kissed my jaw and cheeks, my hesitation and shyness melted away. Damon gave me one last passionate kiss before he grabbed my hand and intertwined our fingers. I smiled and lovingly kissed his neck as Damon tightly squeezed my hand in reassurance.

Damon and I became one for the first time that night.

* * *

Hours later when I finally came too, it was still dark outside. The morning sun had just begun to rise off in the distance and the house was still quiet. As I blank the hazy film from my eyes I smiled goofily and remembered what had happened just a few hours before. Damon and I were connected in every sense of the word, emotionally, spiritually, and most recently physically. I let out a content sigh and a giddy giggle as I stretched and I found myself pleasantly boneless. My muscles still felt like jello, but I wasn't complaining, I felt too good to complain about _anything_. This was the most relaxed and content I had ever woken up.

As I burrowed back into my spot and pulled the sheet back over me I realized Damon's arm was draped over my waist and his face was buried into the back on my neck. I smiled and scooted closer to him as I enjoyed the feeling of being held by him. Seconds later I felt Damon's lips press sweetly against the back of my neck and his grip on my waist pull me closer. I shuddered in pleasure and turned in his grip to face him. When I came face to face with him his eyes were still closed. I frowned and reached out to trace the contours of his face with the pads of my fingertips. When his eyes still didn't open I brushed his silky raven hair off his forehead, leaned forward, and pressed my lips lightly against his. This time Damon's beautiful cobalt eyes slowly fluttered open and focused on me.

"Good morning," I said as I smiled and propped my head up with my hand. Damon's gaze shifted around nervously until I rubbed his leg with my foot and began to stroke his cheek with my thumb. "Something wrong?"

Damon's brow furrowed before he shook his head and pressed his lips to mine. "No, I was just afraid it was all a dream or I was reliving another memory of human me and you."

I huffed out a short laugh and ran my hand down his chest. "Well, it wasn't a dream and I was never with you as a human, so no worries."

"Wait, what?" Damon asked in a rush as his eyes widened a fraction of an inch.

"Yeah…." I said unsurely as I gave Damon and odd look. "Why would you think I had sex with you as a human?" I asked slowly.

"In one of the memories…you were with me," Damon said suddenly sounding very unsure of himself.

"Well you obviously didn't see all of the memory; I was _almost _with you as a human. Katherine came in and basically cock blocked you." I shrugged and fought to keep the smile off my face, but I failed miserably and a small giggle escaped my lips. Damon's gaze softened at the sound and he leaned forward and pressed his sinfully skilled lips to mine.

"Soooo…." Damon smirked as he pulled away from me and realization dawned on his face. If it was even possible Damon grew visibly happier as he ran his fingers disbelievingly through his mussed hair and smiled up at the ceiling.

"It was amazing," I finished as I scooted over and rested my head on his chest. Damon chuckled and wrapped an arm around my shoulders as he laid his head back on the pillows and got comfortable. We stayed in that position for a while before a though dawned on me and I asked, "You were the one at my window a few nights ago, and the one at the party…weren't you?" At the pregnant silence that followed my question I knew I had guessed right. I thought I had noticed something different in Damon at the party, but I thought it had been my imagination playing tricks on me. Now that I thought back, I noticed the subtle differences with more clarity, I remembered the longing and desperate looks, the consuming kiss, the unbelievable sexual tension, all of which were traits I attributed to my Damon, not human Damon. All of it made sense now, even the vanishing act made sense. "You kissed me," I finally managed to mumble into his chest.

"You liked it," Damon said offhandedly as he dutifully stroked my back. The gesture was gentle and sweet and it felt wonderful. I smiled and nuzzled myself closer to his chest, it felt so good to be held by him. I traced the pads of my fingers up and down his chest and had to bite back my giddiness. So this is what it felt like to be wholly happy and free, to no longer be consumed by guilt by even thinking about him. _I finally feel like I made the right choice. _

"That's not the point," I whined halfheartedly. I kissed his collarbone and Damon let out a content sigh at the contact.

"Oh, so you did like it," Damon teased tracing patterns on my shoulder with his fingertips.

"Of course," I mumbled instantly. At any other time I would have blushed, but right now I was too content to be embarrassed. "But my point is that you could have at least told me that it was you at the party!"

"And miss out on all the fun? Why would I do that?" Damon teased with an infuriating smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him and swatted his chest.

"Because then I wouldn't have fainted at the sight of you tonight…and it would have been nice to see you using manors." I teasingly added on as an afterthought. I propped myself up, lifted up the sheet so I could move easier, and slid on top of Damon's chest. Damon's gaze darkened slightly as I pressed myself suggestively against him and awarded him a devious smirk. I craned my neck down and pressed my lips to his in a teasing kiss as I weaved my fingers into his hair. Damon moaned and wrapped an arm around my waist as he quickly flipped us over and pinned me to the mattress.

"Obviously manors are not high on your list of concerns." He mumbled against my neck as I closed my eyes in bliss. I held onto the headrest for support as Damon ran his hand along my back and his tongue slid into my mouth and twirled around mine. I groaned softly and rested one hand on his neck as the other twisted into his hair. This continued for a few more minutes before Damon pulled away and turned to look at the door.

"What is it?" I asked breathlessly as I leaned up and kissed his chest.

"The house is waking up, we can't keep doing this."

I felt like whining like a little kid when I heard that, but I bit my tongue and nodded. "Alright," I mumbled begrudgingly. At my disappointed tone Damon turned to face me and smirked. "Shut up," I said before he could poke fun at me.

"I didn't say anything," he said rolling off me.

"Yeah, but you were gonna make a smartass remark and ruin the mood. Don't ruin the mood." I stretched my arms above my head and spread my legs out under the sheets as my joints popped and clicked before I yawned and ran my fingers through my tousled hair. When I looked over at Damon his gave was hungrily staring at my covered form. I pulled the sheet more tightly around my chest and turned on my side. "What?"

"I don't think I have seen anything sexier in my life," he purred ravaging me with his eyes.

"I hate to break it to ya, but the feeling isn't mutual. I think you've lost a step in your old age," I teased narrowing my eyes and shaking my head at him. Damon growled, launched himself on top me, and had me pinned me down by the shoulders before I could blink. I let out a startled cough as Damon smirked down dangerously at me.

"You were saying?"

"Fine!" I sighed dramatically. "You Damon Salvatore are the sexiest person I have ever laid eyes on. Happy?" I quipped.

"Very."

I pushed him off me, leaned off my side of the bed, reached down, collected my undergarments from last night, and threw them on the bed. I sat up with the sheet still around my chest and motioned for Damon to turn around. He rolled his eyes but turned away as I had asked as I swiveled in bed, discarded the sheet from around my body, and threw my legs over the side of the bed.

"Hey Damon?"

"Hmm?" He responded absently as I slid my panties on.

"How did you get into the house last night? You had to be invited in, right?"

"Elena, it's not that hard to get invited into a house when you live in it. People know me, I am a known non-demon at this point, so all I did was find Stefan and get him to invite me into the house. Ta-da, problem solved."

"And your clothes?" I asked clasping my bra and sliding the straps on my shoulders into place.

"I snuck into my room and borrowed a few things."

"Clepto," I teased turning over my shoulder and gazing fondly at him. What I saw froze me in place. "Oh my god," I whispered in shock as I crawled over to Damon and inspected his back. My eyes widened in concern as my fingers lightly traced over his back and my thoughts flew back to last night.

"What?" Damon asked from his position on the edge of the bed as he pulled his boxers on.

"Your back…." I said letting my sentence trail off as my brow furrowed in concern.

"Is as fabulous as the rest of me, I know," he replied cockily not grasping the fact that I wasn't teasing him.

"I scratched it last night."

"Yeah, I felt it, who would have thought you were so rough?" Damon teased turning over his shoulder and giving me a devilish smirk. At any other time that look would have made my insides liquefy, but my mind was a bit to preoccupied with worry for me to be distracted by Damon's panty dropping look.

"Damon," I snapped finally grabbing his attention. Damon stopped and suddenly grew very serious as my touch on his back began to shake. My eyes widened in panic and I opened my mouth to say something, but I wasn't sure how to continue. "There's something wrong, the scratches…they haven't healed yet."

* * *

**Hahahahaha, cliffhangers suck don't they?! Anyways, there we have it, chapter 30! I hope this chapter was worth the wait after so long. I feel like (and hope) the sex may have won some of you over and made you forgive me and my terrible time management/busy schedule. I shall have to wait and see I guess. But, referencing the chapter, what is wrong with our beloved Damon? And on a happier note, who is totally stoked that Elena and Damon finally got together!? Took them long enough, 30 chapters later! XD Anyways I hope you all were okay with the semi descriptive sex scene, like I have said before I am still young so I refrained from describing the actual act…but I was close. After this chapter I am also debating on changing the rating to M, what do you all think? **

**Now, many of you are probably wondering why it has taken me so long to update, but to be honest I have been writing something else. It was not for another fandom or Fanfiction story. For my Culminating Project I am writing part of an original novel. This is what has been taking up all of my writing time. I felt you all deserved to know the truth and there it is. I hope you can forgive me for my absence. Now, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and will drop me a review letting me know how I did. Thank you everyone for reading, I hope you enjoyed, and let me know what you thought! **

**Until Next Time, Lioness002**


	31. Mysteries

**Hello everyone, here I am with chapter 31! What happened to Damon?! Is he alright!? Why are the scratches still there? Many of you sent me guesses on what was going on with Damon, but it is up to you to see if you were right or not. Now, you all get to see what is wrong with our poor vamp Damon after that evil cliffhanger. I am apologizing for an errors now, I literally spent all day working on this so I could get something posted for all of you amazing fans. So I hope you all will enjoy this new chapter and will let me know what you thought of it when you are done reading. Thanks! -I Own Nothing but the Plot Idea -Lioness002**

* * *

_Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump thump thump._ My heart sped up uncontrollably and my mouth dried to the consistency of sand. _Why did I say that? I could be freaking out over nothing, right? Maybe he's fine. Maybe I'm just too edgy. Damon is always fine._ I raised my gaze to meet Damon's and I saw something I hardly ever, almost never, saw, thinly veiled panic. A tremor of worry ran through my body as I hesitantly trailed my finger next to a few of the scratches on his back. A few seconds ago the room was full of teasing and good energy, now it felt incredibly uncomfortable. You could hear a pin drop.

I licked my dry lips and tried to figure out what to say._ Is he mad at me? _I thought trying to gauge Damon's reaction. He looked shelled shocked, like the life had completely drained from his eyes._ I don't think I could handle him being mad at me._ I didn't mean to do anything. Everything last night was just so…intense and passionate that control wasn't exactly high on either of our lists of concerns. _God, I'm going to hate myself if I really hurt him._ _But he's a vampire; it shouldn't have mattered, right?_ Damon certainly didn't seem to mind if I was scratching him last night, every touch was so frenzied and desperate because all either of us cared about was getting as close as possible.

I frowned and rubbed at my forehead. Damon was still silent, his brow furrowed and his jaw clenched. He was just as confused as me. I rubbed his back lightly and his muscles felt rigid and taut underneath my touch. I didn't know what to do in a situation like this; I didn't know how Damon was going to react either. I blew out a slow breath and steeled my nerves.

"Damon," I whispered lightly trying to get some sort of response from him. "Damon, what can I do?" I stayed kneeling on the bed behind him and waited. I ran my fingers soothingly through his hair and rested my chin on his shoulder. "Please, talk to me. I want to help."

At my soft calls Damon seemed to snap out of whatever thoughts were preoccupying him. Damon ripped out of my arms and was off the bed on the other side of the room before I could even blink. I almost fell forward and off the bed at his sudden disappearance, but I caught myself at the last second. I turned and felt my heart slowly shatter, piece by piece, as I watched him stalk in front of the full length mirror across from the bed like a caged animal. He looked so angry and dare I say it, scared, that all I wanted to do was wrap him in my arms and erase this confusing confrontation from his mind.

Damon stopped in the middle of the mirror and wound his arm around his back to finger the thin scratches that marred his skin. He turned his head and stared into the mirror with an intense gaze. The affected skin was raised and an angry pink color. There were small trails of dried blood in the middle of some of the scratches that stood out in startling contrast to his alabaster skin.

"These should have healed instantly," Damon mumbled to himself under his breath as he glared at the scratches in his reflection. "Why are these still here?"

I cleared my throat and Damon's gaze flicked to mine. "I – I'm sorry," I mumbled bowing my head. _There can't be something wrong with you Damon, you have to be okay. You are always okay. If you aren't then I will find a way to fix it._ I promised myself silently. _I can't lose him, now more than ever. I can't lose another person I love, not when I just got them._ Damon gave me an incredulous look as his arm fell away from his back. I heard his bare feet thud softly against the wood as he walked back over to the bed and sat down. "I didn't mean to – to hurt you or anything." I squeezed my eyes shut and clutched at the sheets angrily.

Damon sighed and I felt his hands rest on mine. That spark I felt every time he touched me scorched my skin and I shuddered. I bit my lip and tried to keep my tears at bay. Damon let his sapphire orbs track over my scrunched up face and his gaze soften. That was the second he realized I was blaming myself for his unhealing wounds. He traced one finger over my white knuckles and then up the back of my hand. He did this for a few seconds, trying to relax me, before his fingers started working on mine. He gently pried my fingers apart and held my shaking hands in his.

"This is not your fault Elena. This I'm sure this isn't a big deal."

"What would cause you not to heal?" I asked softly not meeting his gaze. Damon rested two fingers under my chin and pulled my head up softly. I gulped and Damon titled his head to the side in curiosity as a faint smile quirked at his lips. I would have asked what he saw that made him smile, but he answered my verbalized question before I could ask my new one.

"If you had any contact with vervain it could have come out through your sweat last night." I flushed at the thought of last night and Damon smirked but made no comment on my reaction. "If you did then when you scratched me the vervain could have seeped into the wounds and kept them from healing. Another possibility is you had traces of vervain stuck under your nails from touching the plant itself or touching something full of the stuff. Either way, vervain would have slowed my healing enough to give me these results."

I thought back a few days and tried to remember if I had eaten or touched anything with vervain in it. Katherine had eaten every meal for the past few days; there couldn't have been any vervain in the food. I still had my necklace so there was no reason for me to carry any of the plant on my person. I shook my head and let out a frustrated sigh as I ran my hands over my face. "I've haven't ingested or touched anything with vervain in it in a few days. The old vervain would have been out of my system by now."

"Are you sure?" Damon asked mussing his hair in thought.

"Yes," I sighed falling back on the bed and glaring at the ceiling. "What else?"

"Werewolf venom."

"Have you been in contact with any werewolves recently?"

"No."

"Then why did you even mention it?" I snapped. I knew I was being irrational, but I was too stressed and worried to hide my irritation. All I wanted was for him to be okay, that was all I cared about. We didn't need to go over things that had no importance to the subject at hand. "You know what, never mind. Next," I sighed rubbing my eyes.

"Well, it could be because I haven't fed in a while."

I popped up from the mattress and turned to look at him. I narrowed my eyes and really scrutinized him. Damon raised an eyebrow and cocked his head as my eyes frantically traveled over him. This was the first time I had seen Damon in the daytime since he had been here. To my amazement he looked paler than normal and he had dark purple circles under his eyes. He looked tired but he hid it well enough that you wouldn't notice unless you really knew him. How could I have missed that last night? Was it just because it was dark and I couldn't see the minute differences in his appearance, or because I didn't think, couldn't think that Damon was anything but my strong, brave, invincible vampire? But if all he needed to do to get better was feed, then everything would be okay. "When was the last time you fed?" I asked with an edge to my voice.

Damon scratched the back of his head and sighed in thought. "I fed right before I came to find you," he said slowly as he ran a hand down his face. At my angry glare Damon held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, to be fair I was so focused on reaching you as soon as possible that I just didn't find time to feed. You were more important." My withering look melted and my irritation faded. I couldn't be mad at him for caring. "So that means it has probably been a few days, a week tops, since I fed." Damon shrugged.

I deliberated with myself for only a second before I brushed my hair from my neck and came to sit next to Damon. My fingers ran over the sensitive skin on my neck where Katherine had bit me and I locked my gaze with Damon's. I bit my lip and grabbed his hands, tugged on him until he gave into me, and pulled him to the center of the bed. Once he was situated I straddled his hips, wrapped one arm around his shoulders, and tilted my exposed neck towards him in invitation. Damon sucked in a sharp breath and tried to pull away but I held onto him firmly. I met his gaze with a determined look and he met mine with his own stubborn fire.

"What are you doing?" He hissed through clenched teeth as his gaze slid down to my neck. I could see he was struggling to stay in check by the way he was chewing on the inside of his cheek. He needed to feed more than he let on.

"You need to feed," I whispered running a thumb over his cheek, "so feed from me. It's the least I can do considering this is my fault."

"Elena," Damon said gruffly as he grabbed onto my shoulders and tilted me away from him. "I've already told you none of this is your fault, you don't owe me anything."

"I'm offering because I want to, not because I feel obligated to. I want to help you," I replied back stubbornly. "I'm not letting you go on without feeding. I need you to feed and stay strong so we can figure out how to get home."

Damon raised a finger and shook his head. "I never said I wouldn't feed, I just said I wouldn't feed on _you_. You are not a blood bag; I'm not going to feed on you and treat you like one. There are plenty of other people I can feed on." Damon's cerulean eyes sliced into mine as if challenging me to object to what he had just said.

"Really?" I asked sarcastically as I raised an eyebrow. "How many people in Mystic Falls do you think don't have vervain in their systems at this point?" I pointed out irritably. "People are on high alert and you are a counsel member's son, you'll be noticed, or worse, caught and killed."

"I can manage," Damon mumbled. "There are bound to be a few vervain free people somewhere."

"Damon, don't be stupid! You know there is hardly anyone that is vervain free at this point. I am your best and safest option. I'm vervain free and willing. Why won't you just let me help you?" I asked with a hurt look on my face. "I just want you to be safe, I don't know what I would do if you suffered because of me and I stood by and did nothing."

"Elena," Damon said my name in a pleading tone as he tried to rein in his temper. "You're right that you are my safest feeding option, but that doesn't mean it is safe for you." I opened my mouth to protest, to let him know I trusted him, but he cut me off. "I haven't fed in days Elena, I could lose control in the blink of an eye and I could drain you."

I gave him a weak look before I leaned forward and lightly pressed my lips to his. After his initial shock, or his internal battle, Damon's lips responded back to mine and he trailed a hand down my cheek. We kissed like this for a few seconds, but I could tell Damon was restraining himself. I kissed him softly a few more times before I rested my forehead against his. I reached down, grabbed onto one of his hands, and encompassed it in my own. I was not above pleading. "I know the risks of offering you my blood; I'm not blind to the danger. I appreciate your concern for me, I really do, but I am not going to back down. You're weak; if you don't feed on me you are one misstep away from the end. I am not letting you put yourself in jeopardy anymore than you already have." I brushed Damon's bangs away from his forehead and met his haunted gaze. "I trust you," I whispered.

Damon gulped and I swear I saw the faintest hint of black veins appear below his beautiful eyes, but when I blinked they were gone. "Are you sure about this Elena?" He finally whispered. I nodded and scooted closer to him. Damon kissed me lightly before he brushed my hair off my shoulder. "Alright, if I am going to do this you need to relax Elena; I don't want to hurt you. Take a deep breath." I did as he said and I drew in a deep breath of air and blew it out slowly through my nose. I then met his gaze and nodded reassuringly. "Close your eyes if you want," he whispered tracing patterns over my shoulder and around my neck.

"I'm not afraid of you," I whispered running my thumb under his eyes. "I trust you," I repeated quietly.

Before my eyes Damon's face morphed and the telltale black veins webbed out beneath his eyes. Damon's darkened blue eyes were completely surrounded by dark red blood and I watched as his fangs slid into place and peaked out beneath his luscious lips. I tilted my head in fascination and smiled faintly as I hesitantly reached out and ran my fingers over the upraised veins. I bit my lip and giggled quietly as the veins rippled beneath my fingertips and Damon purred at my gentle touch. Most people would have been terrified to see a vampire in his true form, but I found it exciting and unique.

I blushed and bit my lip as my gaze pinpointed on Damon's fangs. "Can – can I…touch them?" I asked shyly. Damon's eyes sparked in surprise.

"Be my guest," he finally murmured in a somewhat distorted tone. _It must be hard talking around the fangs_, I thought absently. Damon opened his mouth and his fangs glinted in the early morning light streaming in from the window. My eyes slit lazily in curiosity as I brushed the pad of my finger over the front of one fang. Damon closed his eyes and distracted himself by running his hands up and down my sides. Me, being stupidly curious, I wanted to know how sharp his fangs really were. I brushed one finger over the fang and poised it right below the sharp point. I pushed up only a bit and instantly a drop of blood welled up on the pad of my finger, it was like being pricked by a pin. Damon's nostrils flared and his eyes snapped open the second I drew blood.

I shrugged one shoulder, pulled my finger away, and sucked the droplet off the pad. Damon went rigid as he watched this go on. "I was curious," I said in way of explanation. "I know you won't hurt me."

"Elena, you are going to be the death of me," Damon groaned.

I smiled and rested my lusty gaze on his. He growled and wrapped an arm around my bare waist to pull me closer and lightly kissed and licked the area he was going to bite. I let out a shuddering breath and weaved my fingers into his inky hair as I pulled him closer to my neck. My pulse was pounding all over my body and I squirmed impatiently against him.

"I'll make this feel good, I promise."

Less than a second later Damon's fangs sank into my neck in exactly the same place Katherine had bit me, effectively erasing her mark on me. If I was going to be marked by anyone it would be Damon. The initial sting of pain was nothing compared to the warmth that flowed through me as Damon took his first draw of my blood. I gasped and my eyes fluttered closed in pleasure. _It feels so good._ My fingers still weaved into his hair massaged at his scalp and my other arm wound around his back.

Damon groaned against my neck and the vibrations went through both of our bodies. My whole body tingled in a way I never thought was possible as I clung to his body and absently ground into his hips. I felt like Damon and I were connected in every way possible. My blood was now running through his veins and keeping him alive; I finally felt I could be useful to him and start paying him back for all the times he had saved me. Damon ran his fingers up and down my spine and that, coupled with the feeling of his lips on my neck, the pleasurable throbbing all over my body reduced me to a trembling mess in his arms. It felt like no time and forever had passed all at the same time as Damon retracted his fangs from my neck. I collapsed into his strong arms shuddering and smiling like an idiot. Damon rubbed back soothingly as I kissed his shoulder and neck and he licked over the new wound.

"Feeling any better?" I whispered against his neck. I felt the laughter rolling through his muscled body as Damon smirk against my neck.

"Never been better," he finally murmured pulling away from my neck and framing my face with his hands. His brows then pulled together in concern. "Be honest, did I hurt you?" He suddenly looked very vulnerable like he was afraid I would be disgusted with him.

I shook my head and smiled. "Besides the initial bite, there wasn't a bit of pain." I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. Damon's lips curled into a smile as his hand found a way into my hair. "And you sure do keep your promises. That did feel good."

Damon laughed wholeheartedly this time and shook his head with a smirk. "I'm a professional."

"Alright, I think that is enough of an ego boost for today. Let's see if it worked." I removed myself from Damon's lap and crawled around behind him so I could see his back. I got a serious sense of Deja vu as I trailed my fingers over his back; I was just destined to help heal Damon, human or vampire, wasn't I?

I bit my lip and stared at the offending scratches on Damon's back willing them to disappear from existence. It wasn't time to freak out yet; I would give it a few more seconds before I determined if lack of blood had been the problem from the beginning.

A good nerve-wracking two minutes passed, and I started to feel my stomach drop when the scratches still hadn't vanished._ No! This can't be happening. What are we supposed to do now_? Then, just as I was about to break the bad news, the angry pink color faded from the scratches. I stilled and stared at Damon's back as I watched the inflamed tissue lower and then finally seal. My eyes widened and began to mist in relief.

A relieved breath whooshed out my lungs and I ran my hands over the newly smoothed surface. Not a blemish in sight. _Thank God! _I rested my head against Damon's back and wrapped my arms around him from behind. "The scratches are gone," I said those words like I was telling him he no longer had terminal cancer.

Damon relaxed and finally gave me a pure and unhindered smile that reached his eyes. "I told you this wasn't a big deal," he teased. I crawled back onto his lap and smacked his shoulder. I was glad beyond words that Damon was alright, but his carefree attitude was still slightly irritating. "Too soon?" He asked with a cheeky smile.

"Ugh! You are impossible." I threw my arms in the air. "If you ever scare me like that, or do something like that again I will stake you. You hear me?" I grouched poking him in the chest with every word. He grabbed onto my hands and stilled them in his.

"Yes ma'am. Now come here." He pulled me flush against his chest and kissed me soundly. I moaned into his mouth and wrapped my arms tightly around him like would disappear at any second. This was so much better. No more stress, no more drama, just pleasure, passion, and love.

"Miss Elena?" Strike that. The voice that broke the silence was like a punch to the gut. _Oh my god, this is not happening. How it possible for me to have this bad of luck? It's like the universe is making sure I can't have a moment to breathe before I have a new drama to deal with. _

I was so done with all of the drama and sneaking around that I didn't even care how compromising we looked still dressed only in our undergarments and pressed against each other intimately. It was exactly what it looked like but I couldn't find the energy to really freak out. My nerves were fried, my brain was dead, and I wasn't even surprised that this had happened. I could never catch a break.

Damon had tensed in surprise but I simply kissed him chastely one last time, pulled away, sighed, and looked to the person standing frozen in the doorway. "Come in and close the door please," I said softly.

The door clicked shut a few seconds later and in that time I disentangled myself from Damon who looked like he was just thrust into a Twilight Zone episode. I reached to the floor and grabbed Damon's discarded shirt from last night and pulled it over my head. I walked to the center of the room and looked between the two shocked men and rubbed my forehead. I looked up and motioned between the two men in way of introduction.

"Damon, meet Damon."

* * *

**Yay, a finished chapter! So, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and the new cliffhanger. Did you guys like the 'Team Delena' trust bonding in this chapter? Haha, Damon is alright! Or is he? ;) Now thank you to everyone who read this chapter, your continued support means the world to me. I spent all day writing and finishing this chapter for all of you amazing fans. You deserved an update so much! So, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter and will let me know how I did by way of review. If you liked it, loved it, or even hated it, let me know. Thanks again for reading! **

**P.S. Who is excited for the new season of TVD in 5 DAYS!? I know am, especially after seeing the cute Delena bathtub scene they released for the premiere. Hopefully it is just the beginning of a long and happy relationship and cute Delena moments. **

**Until Next Time, Lioness002 **


	32. Seeing Double

**I am speechless, absolutely speechless. All of you fans out there warm my heart to the point of melting and bursting into flames. Actually, that's all of me melted on the floor. OVER 1000 REVIEWS!? Are you kidding me? How in the world did that happen? What did I do to deserve all the love!? You all are so breathtakingly AMAZING! And since you all are amazing, you deserve an update after…well, too long. Blame college applications and finals. Anyway, to sweeten the deal, I also made this an extra long chapter. It is a thank you and an attempt to get back into all of your good graces. So, thank you again for the support, reviews, favorites, follows, and everything else and I hope you enjoy this new chapter! –I Own Nothing but the Plot –Lioness002**

* * *

"_Damon, meet Damon."_

I felt myself deflate as an awkward silence filled the room. What are you supposed to say when you are caught making out with the vampire version of someone and then the human version of said vampire interrupts you? Oh, the records my little time traveling mission is breaking.

I stand in the middle of the room while two identical pairs of eyes burn holes into me. My gaze bounces back and forth between the two Damon's and my bottom lip finds itself caught between my teeth. This is not good. How am I supposed to damage control something like this? Sure, I told HD he would become a vampire one day, but having real life proof of that shoved in your face is going to be slightly overwhelming. And Damon and I just had a major freak out over his non-healing scratches, so he is going to be tense and antsy and liable to lash out. Plus, he was obviously jealous when he _thought _I slept with HD and he _thought_ I liked his human self better than him. So after what happened last night between us, I am betting he is going to be territorial.

"Is anyone going to say something or…?" I trailed off uncertainly.

"What's there to say? The situation seems pretty self explanatory," Damon murmured from behind me. I turned to look at Human Damon but he seemed frozen in place. His eyes stayed glued on his vampire self, periodically flicked to me, and then moved back to where they started. He made no move to respond.

My head tipped forward in defeat and my hair curtained my face on both sides. I let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed my forehead. _I can't do anything to make this better if they don't talk to each other. How are situations like this even supposed to work? Are they going to be nice to each other, or will there be tensions? Will there automatically be trust, or are they going to be jealous of each other? _I bit my lip as a sickening thought entered my mind._ Am I like Katherine by liking both Damon's? Is it considered cheating to grow close to one and then sleep with the other when it is the same person? Ah! This is so confusing!_

"You are…me?" Human Damon finally murmured in wonder. He squinted at the bed where his vampire self proudly sat and his forehead crinkled. I peaked out from under my barrier of hair to see a look of suspicion cross his face. "How do I know this isn't some sort of trick…or hallucination brought on by lack of sleep?"

"Well, the last time you thought someone was a hallucination it wasn't true. Why would it be any different now?" I said shrugging softly. Human Damon stirred at my voice and smiled sheepishly as his thoughts and mine found the same memory. The night I came back from the dead and Human Damon thought I was a hallucination, or a 'deceitful apparition' as he so eloquently put it at the time flashed through my mind. I smiled back and a bit of light returned to HD's eyes. After a second more of processing my faint smile turned into a frown. "Wait, you didn't sleep?"

"_Giuseppe_," Human Damon spat out bitterly, "kept me working in the study all last night. He made sure the help kept a close eye on me so I wouldn't sneak out to the party."

My stomach sank a bit as guilt washed over me. I totally forgot that Human Damon was stuck working in the house last night while I attended the party. I was so surprised by his sudden appearance and so caught up in his charade that I believed it was 1864 Damon at the party with me. I had no idea it was _my_ Damon coming to facilitate a rescue.

Last night. It was hard to believe that the Lockwood party was only last night; so much had happened in the short span of time since the party that it felt like days, weeks even, had passed. It was hard to believe that my Damon had come for me last night, hard to believe that Damon and I were together for the first time last night, hard to believe that we had our first close call last night.

Everything was happening so quickly and yet that didn't feel like a bad thing. Damon and I had spent so much time as friends that this step in our relationship didn't feel rushed, it felt right. We had already grown and bonded and fought and forgiven, so while these past 24 hours had been a rollercoaster of changes and revelations, it wasn't necessarily without reason. It was perfectly us, crazy and wild and against all rational thought. But it didn't matter that it was a whirlwind, once Damon showed up it was like it was only us, and time didn't matter in the slightest.

Unlike with my relationship with Stefan, where we both jumped into it blindly after only knowing each other for a short time, Damon and I had the chance to understand and learn about each other first. Our trust bonded us and our willingness to listen and be there for each other, even in the darkest of times, cemented our importance in each other's lives. We already had a deep connection, and that connection was what drew us together.

I always thought that friendships turned into the best relationships because you already knew each other and you didn't have to go through all of the awkward growing pains. You don't have to learn everything about each other while being in a relationship at the same time. Damon knows me better than almost anyone, and I am the only person who has gotten to see the softer side of him, the only one who understands and accepts him for who he is. Really, Damon has always been there for me, and we've been closer than anyone has been willing to give us credit for or cared to admit. We may not have been in a relationship before all of this, but we weren't far off.

Damon snorted from behind me and shook me from my thoughts. I turned just in time to see his jaw tense and his eyes begin to burn with loathing. "That's father for you, always making life difficult." I wanted to go over and comfort him in that instant, but a small part of me, the worried and unsure part, held me back. I didn't want to cause an uproar by 'choosing sides', or more accurately, 'choosing a Damon', so I planted my feet and stayed in neutral territory.

"Ugh, tell me about it," Human Damon griped from the doorway. I hid my faint smile by coughing softly. At least they could both agree on the fact they hated Giuseppe. In my book that was progress in the right direction. If anything was going to make this scandal go over smoothly, it would be their mutual hate for Giuseppe…and their unbearable ego.

After an almost comfortable silence where Human Damon and Vampire Damon sat staring at each other, sizing each other up and making judgments, Human Damon cleared his throat and took a step away from the door towards the bed.

"It's eerie…," he finally murmured tilting his head. "I know vampires don't age, Miss Pierce has told me as much, but seeing myself looking as devilishly handsome as ever," his eyes twinkled with mirth and pride at that, "it really sets in the fact that I will become a creature of the undead."

"The not aging is just one of the _many_ perks of being a vampire. Trust me though," Damon said getting up and coming to stand a foot or so from his human self. "The enhanced stamina cannot be understated." I flushed scarlet, now knowing firsthand the glory of that specific perk. Visions of our multiple trysts last night flashed through my mind and my pulse involuntarily skyrocketed. I licked my dry lips and wrapped my arms around my middle. _Keep it together Elena, now is so not the time to get all worked up. _

Damon and Human Damon continued to talk quietly about vampirism until Damon's spine stiffened and his nostrils flared. He slowly turned and I froze as his gaze slid over me and his luscious lips slowly curled into a deliciously dirty smirk. His eyes flared hungrily as they met mine and held me captive. My body quaked as I pulled at the collar of his shirt; this room had suddenly become unbearably stuffy. _Damn him, he knows I want him. _

Human Damon watched this exchange with a critical eye, pursed his lips, and then flicked his gaze to Damon and back to me. His gaze darkened slightly and was full of something I couldn't quiet pinpoint, but it cleared as quickly as it came and was followed with a trademarked smirk. _Busted_, I thought blushing harder. There is no way Human Damon wouldn't understand a blush like that, especially when it involved him. "I can't say I am surprised," he said tartly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He flicked his gaze in my direction, his eyes locking with mine, silently trying to tell me something, before he cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

Damon shrugged and smirked. "All in the family, right? But give yourself a pat on the back anyway, if it weren't for you, this," he said motioning between us, "wouldn't have happened." I groaned at the awkwardness of this conversation. I had to wonder if this conversation was something like Damon's inner monologue or if he just felt the need to talk himself up.

"Glad I could help," he responded. "Now, I have to ask, how was it?" Human Damon asked with a curious look. He looked uncomfortable, but not enough to not ask what was on his mind. "I've wondered." His gaze met mine again and I felt my face grow warm in embarrassment, I almost felt like a child being chastised. There was something different about him tonight, something darker, edgier, and I couldn't understand what it was.

"Oh, a gentleman never tells." Damon chuckled. "And I was a gentleman at this time, at least somewhat. I am appalled I would ask such an inappropriate question." Damon said with a hand over his heart and incredible amounts of sarcasm coloring his voice. If the conversation was about anything else I would find this interaction amusing, but right now I just felt awkward. Even if they were both versions of Damon, they were still different and that made me uncomfortable because each one had different impressions of me. I didn't want my business with Damon to be discussed in such a blasé way, even if they were technically the same person.

"But, we are the same person technically, so is it really telling?"

"A fair point." Damon nodded. "But, the real question is, what do you think Elena?" Damon rounded towards me and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Not to be a downer or anything, but can we move on, please?" I whispered. "This topic of conversation is awkward. Go into all of the dirty details on your own time and when I'm not standing right here."

"And there we have it, next topic." I sent Damon a grateful look and he nodded marginally. "Elena, aren't you just so lucky to be faced with not one, but two Damon's? I don't know about you, but just thinking about the possi-" He slung an arm around his human self's shoulders and that's when it happened.

Damon jumped away from his human self with a grunt and slammed into the four-poster bed. Human Damon stumbled back in shock and Damon moaned and clutched at his head as he slid to the floor with a loud thud. His face contorted in pain and his breaths came out in sharp gasps. "Not again," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Oh my god," I whispered in horror as I rushed forward. Without even thinking I had his head cradled on my lap. "What's the matter, what happened? Damon?" I bit my lip and combed my fingers through his hair to pull it back from his face. "What can I do, I want to help!" I whispered desperately.

He hissed through his teeth and shook his head. "It'll—pass. I'm—fine."

"Yeah right!" I barked angrily. _Damn him and his stubbornness!_

"What's going on?" Human Damon asked taking a few steps toward us. His blue eyes were startled and wild as he looked between me and his vampire self. "Is this normal?" He asked swallowing dryly as his face paled.

I shook my head. "No," I croaked out. "Something is wrong; I've never seen this happen before." My brain was in full panic mode as I stared down at Damon's face, he looked like he was in excruciating pain and all I wanted to do was ease that pain. He deserved to feel good, not look and feel like he was being electrocuted continuously.

As Human Damon got closer I felt the tremors running through Damon's body intensify and I watched in surprise as all of his muscles strained away from his human self. A pained gasp escaped his lips and his fingers dug into the floor as he unconsciously tried to pull himself away. He tried to roll out of my lap but I held onto him securely.

"Stop!" I said in a panicky voice as I held my hand up to Human Damon. He stopped like he had hit one of the barriers keeping uninvited vampires out of peoples houses. "Get back, I…I think you're doing this somehow."

"Me?" He asked in an offended tone, though underneath it all I could hear the faintest hint of fear. I whipped my head in his direction and glared.

"Try it and you'll see that I'm right. I'm just trying to help, not pick a fight," I snapped rubbing my thumbs against Damon's cheeks. _Come on Damon, stay strong. I'm right here. Please be okay._

Human Damon frowned and took one more experimental step forward and Damon all but growled as dark veins pulsed under his eyes and he writhed on my lap. The tremors practically doubled and I could hear the protesting of the floorboards underneath Damon's clenching and unclenching hand. His fangs slammed down and sliced through his lips sending small rivulets of blood down his chin and neck. In the next second a strangled scream escaped his lips and he turned into my leg to muffle it as best he could.

Tears jumped into my eyes and began to flow freely down my cheeks as a feeling of helplessness washed through me. He was in so much pain I could feel it radiating off of him in waves; I don't think I had ever seen someone in so much pain, and I had seen a lot of pain in my short life. His dark, pained eyes met mine in a pleading look that stole my breath away, and not in a good way.

In that short span of time Human Damon had backed away and slammed into the farthest wall with a sick look on his face. Damon continued to shake uncontrollably in my arms and then, suddenly, it stopped. He slumped and went slack in my arms, his head lolling to the side as his eyes slid closed. The veins beneath his eyes disappeared and his fangs receded. My heart stopped and my lungs froze.

"Damon?" I squeaked. I shook him gently and the longer he didn't respond the more my body froze. "Damon, wake up!" I pleaded as hysteria began to bleed into my tone. I took one of his limp hands and clasped it mine and held it over my heart. My eyes glazed over and my lower lip wobbled dangerously as agonizing second by agonizing second ticked by. "Please, don't do this to me," I whimpered. I bowed my head and closed my eyes as tears slid down my cheeks and plopped onto Damon's expressionless face. _This can't be happening. _I continued to sob over Damon's slack body and tried to will him back to consciousness. If he wasn't okay I would never forgive myself because the only reason he was even here was because I was stupid enough to get myself sent to 1864.

"Is it raining in here or something?" Damon's weak voice grumbled below me. A sob tore through me and I practically collapsed on top of him in my attempt to hug him fiercely. My body shook and my tears continued to fall as Damon's blurry eyes fluttered open and cleared. My lungs trembled with the force of my relieved exhale. Damon looked confused as he reached up and wiped at my tears with his thumb and frowned. "I always manage to make you cry. What did I do this time?"

A weak laugh left my lips and I shook my head. I ran my fingers through his hair and scratched the spot I found last night behind his left ear that made him relax. "Stop with all of your drama and we will be fine, if not you are going to make me go prematurely gray you jerk."

"Wouldn't want that now would we?" He wheezed as he tried to push himself up by his elbows. When his arms wobbled I wrapped my arms around his torso and dragged him into a sitting position. He smirked weakly at me and rested his head against the side of the bed. "Always there to catch me when I fall, huh Gilbert?"

I smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. "I have to start making up for all the times you've saved _me_."

"Fair is fair I guess, but don't expect to be saving me too often, damsel in distress isn't really my color."

This time a genuine laugh escaped my lips and I couldn't fight it back. It bubbled up my throat without warning and came tumbling out paired with a very embarrassing snort. I didn't really care though, because as I giggled myself into a mess over Damon's stupid comment, his eyes lightened and his face soften in the way it only does for me.

After my laugh attack subsided and I rubbed my eyes clear of any remaining tears I grew serious. I took a deep breath and laced my fingers through Damon's. I swallowed and squeezed his hands softly. "Are you okay now?" Damon's joke may have shortly sidetracked me, but it wasn't enough to stop me from getting to the bottom of what had just happened.

Damon nodded solemnly and rubbed his eyes. "I'm fine; you don't have anything to worry about." He squeezed my hands reassuringly and pulled me into his lap. He smoothed his hand down my hair as I sighed and rested my head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in and letting his unique scent lull me into relaxation. He always had that affect on me, even before we were together. No matter what happened Damon was there to comfort me in his own may. It may have been unorthodox or at the time seemed annoying, but looking back he was always my rock, always the one to put a smile on my face no matter what happened. Damon was the one who saw me for me and took the time to comfort me in the ways I really needed to be comforted. He never shied away from the true me and I always felt freer, more honest, with him.

"But what was that? And you said 'not again', that's happened before?" I asked worriedly as I gnawed on my lip.

"That," he said with a long exhale, "was me retrieving the rest of the new memories the human me made with you." My eyes widened and my mouth fell open.

"I thought you said you already got all of those memories."

"I said I got the important stuff, right then I just got all the pieces that would connect everything together. Though," he said as his brow furrowed, "that was much more extreme. It wasn't like that the first time; the first time I passed out, but it didn't hurt anywhere near that bad." My face twisted in sympathy and Damon kissed my forehead softly, silently telling me not to worry. "It was just different, that's all, probably more intense because I was closer to the source. Don't think too much on it or you are going to wrinkle that pretty little forehead of yours."

I nodded once and Damon visually relaxed. "Alright," I said slowly. I wanted to believe that it was all just a one time thing, but a part of me couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was happening to him. Honestly I felt like this time travel spell had messed with something that wasn't supposed to be messed with and nature was compensating by taking it out on Damon. Of course this was all a hunch, but with what I knew about magic and nature, I knew there always had to be balance. And two displaced souls was definitely something that would tip the scales onto the side of unbalanced.

Damon ran a thumb over my cheek sweetly and I melted a little inside. Leave it to him to totally win me over. Damon weaved a hand through my hair and pulled me toward him to press his lips against mine. I went forward willingly and our lips touched, but only briefly, because he quickly pulled away from me as a look of pain flashed across his face. I immediately tensed. He gently prodded his lips with his pointer finger and winced. "Damn it," he growled.

I stared at his lips and that worry from earlier returned. During his episode his fangs had slashed through his lips, and to my shock they still weren't completely healed. They looked much better than earlier, so much so I hardly noticed the cuts, but the slices were still there. He was healing, it just seemed like it was slower than normal.

I met Damon's eyes as coolly as I could without giving away my worry. Silently I held out my wrist and nodded at it in a silent invitation. Damon's eyes hardened and he shook his head. "Elena," he growled in warning.

"You need it and I'm offering. Let's not rehash this whole argument again." I rolled my eyes and kept my wrist firmly set beneath his mouth. Secretly, or maybe not so secretly, I was worrying about Damon. Something just seemed off. So if I could do anything to help, it would be to pump him full of blood. It couldn't hurt.

"I'm fine, stop worrying about me," he said gently lowering my wrist into my lap. "See, they're gone." He ran his finger over his lips and he was right, the cuts were gone. I guess I was just being too paranoid. The overall stress of everything that had happened was probably catching up to me and that's why every little thing seemed like a blaring problem.

I opened my mouth to protest, to say he should still drink to keep his strength up, but before we could argue farther a throat was cleared from behind us. I tensed in surprise before sheepishly blushing. Awkward, I kind of forgot we had an audience. _I really need to get it together,_ I thought ruefully_. But God, if I try and pay attention to both lively Damon's equally then I am going to be a nervous wreck. _

"Is it safe for me to come closer, or will I cause _that_ to happen again?" Human Damon asked unsurely.

I turned back to Damon and leveled him with a questioning stare. He shook his head and shrugged. "I feel fine, I don't see why not. It was probably just a one time thing."

"You sure?"

Damon snorted and smirked at me. "Elena, stop it, we are talking in a circle. When have I ever lied to you?" I squirmed uncomfortably and bit my lip. Damon held my gaze in his unwavering one and I knew I was being shut down. He was leaving no more room for argument or discussion.

"Never to my knowledge," I grumbled. I hated that he wasn't worrying about this more, but if he felt fine and he said nothing was wrong, then I believed him. Though, that wasn't going to stop me from keeping an eye on him on the down low.

"Exactly, I said I am fine so I am. Now stop with the worrying or I am going to start worrying about you worrying about me. I don't know about _you_, but I don't want to be part of a worry circle."

Human Damon took a step closer, and when nothing happened all of us let out breaths we didn't even know we were holding. No more pain was a good thing; it meant things were finally starting to go in the right direction.

"So…?" HD trailed off.

"We're moving on," Damon said pulling me up with him as he stood up. I sent him irritated look but made no move to comment. When I didn't say anything he dipped his head towards mine, whispered thank you softly in my ear, and kissed my temple. If he wanted to pretend nothing had happened or what had happened wasn't serious, then that was his prerogative.

"Alright, then I have a question," Human Damon said tensely as he watched me walk over to the closet and search through all of my dresses. He shook his head and sighed. "Why are you or, I guess, _I_ here?" He sounded conflicted as he tried to wrap his mind around the reality of the situation. There was obviously something going on, something not normal, just none of us knew _what._ While HD was taking this surprisingly well, probably because I had buffered the vampire realization a bit earlier, he still looked like he felt out of place. There was still so much he didn't know, and that was obviously weighing on his mind.

"Rescue mission for this one here," Damon said quirking a thumb in my direction and rubbing his temple. "She's kind of a problem," he whispered conspiratorially trying to lighten the mood.

"I am not!" I grumbled irritably over my shoulder as I pulled out two dresses and eyed them up and down. "Which one do you think is better, the blue or the green?" I closed the wardrobe door and held the two dresses out.

"Green," they both said in unison.

I stilled and smiled. "I am never going to get used to that."

"You know what they say, great minds think alike," Damon said cheerily from the bed as he started to get dressed for the day. He had stolen some clothes when he first got here, so when he was all decked out in the 1864 clothes it was _really_ hard to tell the two Damon's apart. Yay for me.

"Well I have to get dressed…so…" I motioned for them to turn around.

"Really?" They both asked in unison.

"Stop it!" I whined. "You're making me feel awkward."

Human Damon bowed his head and slid toward the door. "I will take my leave now, but I will be back shortly Miss Elena, we have much to discuss."

I smiled and nodded. "Thank you." The door softly clicked shut a few seconds later and then Damon and I were alone again. I turned around and as to be expected, Damon was there, invading my personal space like always. "I don't suppose you are going to leave me alone any time soon."

"Nope," he said popping the p. His eyes twinkled with mirth as his arms came up beside my head and pressed against the wardrobe, effectively trapping me. My eyes flared and met his hungry ones; it was obvious what he was thinking about. At any other time I would have felt incredibly flustered or angry by being this close to Damon, but now it felt good to let go and let things happen as they would. He leaned down and his lips caressed my neck, barely touching, but leaving me burning to feel more. A breathy sigh escaped my lips as Damon gently kissed me behind the ear and nibbled on my earlobe. "You're going to need help with that dress without your handmaid here."

"Uh-huh," I mumbled absently. I gripped at him and pulled him to me, desperate to feel his lips on mine. Too much had happened; I needed to know that everything was okay, that _he_ was okay. His lips touched mine and I burned all over, he had awoken something in me that refused to be denied. My hands ran down his chest to untuck his crisp, white, button-up shirt. Damon's tongue prodded my lips and I opened them willingly. A mutual moan escaped both of us as Damon wrapped one arm around my waist and weaved the other into my hair. I splayed my fingers over his defined abdomen and trailed upward, bunching up his shirt and revealing more and more of his defined chest.

"The human me should be back soon," Damon murmured as he trailed his lips down my neck. He hooked his hands underneath me and pulled me up so I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist.

"We've got time." I rested my head against the wardrobe and closed my eyes. Damon pulled down the shoulder of my shirt and kissed the exposed skin there. A content purr rumbled through him as I scratched at the back of his scalp and brought his lips back to mine. I brought one hand down and began to unbutton his shirt with antsy hands.

He pulled away from my lips with an impish smile and set me down on the floor. I blinked slowly and watched as he picked up the dress from where it had fallen. An outraged gasp left my lips and I crossed my arms over my chest. "Tease," I grumbled following him over to the mirror next to the bed.

"If I hadn't stopped we would have been here all day. And apparently we have things to do, so." When I came to stand in front of the mirror he sidled up behind me. I frowned and crossed my arms again. I knew this wasn't really a rejection, but it sure felt that way. "If you think for a second that I really _wanted_ to stop, you are insane," he said sounding exasperated. I shrugged and Damon gave me a look that said he thought I was certifiably crazy. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me flush against him. The air left my lungs and my face turned three shades of red as I felt the evidence of how much he didn't want to stop.

"Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_," he rumbled against my neck.

"Well congratulations," I said clearing my throat, "you learned restraint when I really didn't want you to."

Damon snickered against my neck and pulled away. He handed me the dress and patted me on the butt. I turned and glared at him playfully as he went to sit on the bed and observe my progress. "Alright, get to it. I'm just here for support."

"My hero," I mumbled sarcastically.

* * *

Twenty or so minutes later, after a few distractions courtesy of Damon, I was doing the finishing touches to my dress. In the mean time of me getting ready and waiting for HD to return, Damon decided to clean the room. He was a compulsive cleaner it seemed. He was so meticulous and so OCD it was cute. I had to wonder if he was really OCD or he just stubbornly believed in cleanliness and order. Either way it benefited me because the room looked untouched.

When there was a knock on the door I turned over my shoulder to look at Damon and then the door.

"Who is it?" I whispered to Damon. He sat and listened for a second before relaxing.

"It's human me," he said hopping off the bed and opening the door. "Perfect timing me, I was just starting to get bored."

Human Damon walked in and in the reflection of the mirror I saw him eye me almost shyly. That shyness in his eyes as he looked at me was something new, and I had to wonder if this sudden change in attitude had anything to do with the fact that his vampire self was here. Was that jealousy or respect or just him backing off? In a situation like this I really had no clue. I just hoped he didn't like me any less now that my Damon was here. I don't think I could stand it if he felt left out or inadequate, because he did save me and keep me alive in this time. I had not forgotten that, I definitely owed him and I definitely was still grateful. "That dress is very becoming on you Miss Elena."

"Thank you so much, that is very kind of you to say." He bowed his head respectfully and I smiled brightly at him. "Before you left you said we have a lot to talk about, what exactly do we need to talk about? Is something wrong?" I asked HD quietly. I turned away from the mirror and went to sit on the bed.

Damon, who was leaning against the wall next to the door, tensed at the mention of Emily. I remembered how she went back on her word to help Damon get into the tomb, so I was guessing she was still high on his grudge list. Wow, the tomb, all of that felt like a lifetime ago.

Human Damon sighed and rubbed the back of his neck in thought. "Not exactly, Miss Emily said she wanted to see us," he said furrowing his brow. "_All of us_ she said specifically. At the time that really seemed odd to me, but now everything is making a lot more sense. Your presence," he said pointing to Damon, "also explains why Stefan walked up to me this morning asking how I got home before everyone last night. I take it you attended the ball in my stead."

"I couldn't pass up on the opportunity," Damon said absently.

"Yes, well, I assume when Miss Emily said all of us, she meant…"

"Me too," Damon finished with tight lips. Human Damon nodded slowly and sadly. You didn't have to be genius to know that if Damon was exposed as a vampire then things could turn disastrous fall all of us. This meeting could be a huge risk; Emily had already betrayed us once, who was to say she wouldn't do it again? "I guess it was too much to ask for Emily to miss the appearance of another time traveler, especially one who is a vampire and is the future version of someone living in the house."

"Alright," I said standing up. "So are we going? Is it worth the risk?" I looked between the two Damon's and they both shared a look. I had to wonder if they shared thoughts and were constantly on the same wavelength, or if they were just like any two strangers. Did they only share memories or was there more to that little incident earlier? Did it connect them or something? And could they even be considered two people or were they technically one? And if something happened to one, what would happen to the other? God, the confusing options and possibilities made my head pound.

"We have to, Elena," Damon finally said begrudgingly. "Now that I am here, she knows we are going to need to get home and back to our own time. I don't know about you, but I don't know any other trustworthy witches from this time. She is all we have and she knows it. We can't afford to not go."

"So when do we meet then?" I asked uncomfortably. Damon was right, we did need her, there was no other way to be sent home. The spell that sent us here in the first place was Emily's and the spell that will send us back will be hers too. That knowledge was a huge piece of leverage that Emily, and therefore Katherine, was holding over our heads. I didn't like the unfair advantage, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"She said as soon as possible," HD said looking through the blinds and judging the time from the daylight outside.

"But that could have been any time, how would she have known when to meet us?" I asked slowly.

Damon clucked his tongue and shook his head. "Elena, you know better then that. Never underestimate the power of a witch, especially one like Emily. No, she will know when to meet us."

"Then, do we go now?" I asked.

"Now is as good a time as any," HD said walking towards the door. "You stay here and meet us at the meeting point in fifteen minutes," he said to Damon. "I will escort Miss Elena as per usual."

"And the meeting place is…?" I asked.

"The same place as before." When I turned to Damon to tell him where to meet us, HD stopped me. "Don't worry, he has all my memories now, he's a big boy, he can figure it out."

Damon's face hardened at the comment, he obviously did not like taking any lip from his human self, but he decided against whatever rash thought was going through his head and simply nodded in response.

"I'll see you soon," he said to me as I moved to exit the room.

I stopped and turned and walked quickly up to him to wrap him in a hug. I squeezed him tight and nodded softly against his shoulder. I reached up on my tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his jaw. "Stay safe," I pleaded.

"I will," he promised kissing my cheek. I smiled faintly and stepped away only to find that HD had already left. I picked up my skirts and quickly rushed out the door to catch up with him. I had a bad feeling about all of this for some reason.

Once I caught up with Human Damon, he and I walked silently through the halls to the meeting place. As discussed in the plan, Damon waited in the room and would leave to meet us in 15 minutes or when the coast was clear.

About half way to the meeting place Human Damon suddenly stopped and leveled me with a curious look. His eyes scanned me for a second but his face gave nothing away about his thoughts or intentions. I squirmed uncomfortably under his stare until he finally sighed and shook his head.

"I am trying to not be jealous Miss Elena, as I would be jealous of myself, but I cannot help but feel like I was robbed of the chance to be yours." His voice was hard, almost cold in how controlled it was. In that instant all of those looks I couldn't pinpoint earlier became clear. He was _jealous_, that was why he seemed so different. He probably felt betrayed. "I have to wonder, what is it that draws you to the vampire me, how am I so different?"

My face softened and I reached out to hug him, but he easily evaded the touch. I gulped and took a step back in surprise. That was new, he _never_ denied my comfort. For once the tension between us was not a good thing, this felt suffocating and full of anger and judgment and betrayal. I had obviously hurt him without even meaning to or noticing I had. "You may be different later, but you aren't _that_ different. You're still the same person and I've always liked you as a human and a vampire. I like you both."

"Then why does it feel like you like _him_ better." I was taken aback by the sudden hostility, but before I could respond he cut me off. "_I_ was the one to save you, _I _was the one that believed your crazy story, _I_ was the one to risk everything and hide you in my room and home, _I_ was the one that let you into my heart. Me, that was all _me_, and yet you seem to have conveniently forgotten all of that."

"I haven't forgotten," I stuttered. "I appreciate all you have done for me more than you know. I owe you my life."

"Really? Because it sure doesn't seem that way. What has _he_ done besides show up and impersonate _me_? What has _he_ done to be worthy of your love? Anything?"

"Damon, this is all mixed up," I said shaking my head furiously. I took a step forward and cupped his face in my hands. "Why are you acting like this? The _he_ you are so violently hating on is _you_."

"Because _he_ has you and _I_ don't." He covered my hands with his and removed them from his face. "It's obvious which one of us you like better." He snorted and ran a hand through his hair. "This is just like with Katherine, always second best, right? That's what you said Katherine did, right? She played with me but really liked Stefan better?"

"Damon—"

"Stop with the lying, stop trying to make this better. This won't get better because _he_ is always going to be from your time and _I_ am always going to be a memory. You met him first and you are going to leave with him. It doesn't matter what you feel for me because he will win. End of story."

"Just because I may be leaving soon doesn't mean I am going to forget you. It doesn't mean you are any less important or special to me because my Damon is here."

"There it is again."

"There what is again?" I asked exasperated.

"_My_ Damon, you always say that. You've always considered him your love or whatever, you may not have known it, but you have been possessive of him from the start. All this time I have just been a…a substitute." He threw his arms in the air and began pacing like a cage animal. I shivered in anger and fear and irritation.

"Stop it, that is not how I feel and you know that. You were never a substitute."

"Right," he snarled. He chuckled humorlessly and rubbed at his face. "Ah, what a fool for love I am." He stopped, and when his gaze met my fearful and misty one, his expression slowly turned disgusted. "You're just like Katherine," he hissed. The second the words left his lips I felt like I had been slapped. "I was just a means to an end wasn't I?" The fight left me and it was replaced by a numb feeling of shock and heartbreak. This wasn't what I wanted. I hadn't done anything wrong, how was I supposed to know my Damon was going to show up? How was I supposed to know _any _of this was going to happen? Time travel is kind of new to me. I wasn't planning on any of this happening. I wasn't planning on falling for either of them. I was planning get home and go back to Stefan. Falling for either Damon was never even a consideration. I never played him; I was honest and real with him the whole time. The fact he believed all my feelings were a lie and that I was just like Katherine, one of the few people on this planet I actually hated, hurt more than I thought was possible.

I took a deep intake of breath and let it out slowly before I met his gaze. I blinked to fight back my tears and I cleared my throat. "If you really think I am like Katherine, then you don't know me at all."

"No, I guess I don't."

That was it. That was the moment a divide formed between us. It came out of the blue and I never saw it coming. I was blindsided. How everything could change so much in just 24 hours was a mystery to me. From here on out, nothing would be the same.

* * *

Human Damon walked away from me without so much as a backward glance. I stood in the hallway for a good five minutes trying to understand what had just happened. I didn't figure it out. I shook away my sorrow and steeled my nerves. I had things I needed to take care of. I traipsed through the house and eventually made it to the meeting place.

When I entered Human Damon was sitting in a chair, back turned to the door, and staring out the window. He looked so closed off, so angry. I had never seen HD like this. I had seen my Damon this way many times, but to see HD like this was unnerving. It hurt me to know that I had caused this.

I sighed and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room until the door opened behind me. I turned over my shoulder and was relieved to see Damon slink in. _Thank god._ I took a step toward him and the next instant he had me in his arms. I clung to him and buried my face into his neck. When I pulled away to meet his concerned gaze he froze.

"Have you been crying?" He asked in a panic as his thumbs caressed my cheeks and the skin under my eyes. His hands came up to cup my face and search my gaze for the source of my pain. If only he knew. I shook my head and instinctively moved closer to him for comfort. I covered his hands with mine and squeezed gently before removing them from my face.

I kept one of his hands in mine while with my free hand I wiped at my eyes. "Allergies," I said forcing a smile. Damon obviously didn't believe me, especially since his human self was sitting in the corner glowering at us, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"I remember, they can be a bitch." His lips quirked up at his own joke and I felt my heart lighten slightly. He always knew exactly what to say.

"Tell me about it." I tried to laugh but it came out as more of a mutated sob. I cleared my throat and looked around the room to distract myself and get myself together. _Where is Emily? _The thought entered my mine and was answered almost instantly.

"Emily should be along shortly, but first I have a few questions for you all." The door slammed shut behind us and we all groaned in unison. _Not again._ My fists clenched by my sides and Damon slipped his through mine in a silent act of support.

"Katherine," Damon all but hissed as the she devil appeared before us. Her eyes glinted mischievously as they passed over Damon. Her look sent fire through my veins; it made me want to stake her in her black, unfeeling heart, multiple times.

"Hello my love," Katherine purred as she slithered up to Damon and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously at him. "My, my, vampirism has treated you well." She ran her fingers down his chest and every cell in my body was screaming at her to leave him alone. Damon was _mine _now, not hers. "Now tell me," she whispered against Damon's ear as her lips curled darkly, "what is in store for my future?"

* * *

**Ah Katherine, always up to no good. And just for all of your information, this chapter turned out much different than I originally planned. I just sat typing, and once I was done it had taken a turn I had never intended. It also turned out much longer. Hmm, I think all of that bottled up writing juice came pouring out on this one. Kinda crazy, right? Anyway, thank you to everyone who read and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and how long it was after such a long wait. So again, I hope you enjoyed and I hope you will all let me know what you thought of the chapter and how I did by way of review. Reviews mean the world to me and they really keep me going. I love reading all of your thought and comments, it makes my day. **** So THANK YOU everyone! Lots of love!**

**Until Next Time, Lioness002**


End file.
